Cignal advances to PVL finals after beating Kurashiki

Cignal secured a spot in the PVL Invitational finals by defeating guest team Kurashiki Ablaze in a grueling five-set match, with the final score being 25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-11.

The HD Spikers will now face the Creamline Cool Smashers in the championship round, with Cignal having a chance to win its breakthrough PVL title and deny Creamline's bid for a Grand Slam.

Import MJ Perez was the standout player for Cignal, scoring a new PVL career-high of 36 points, including 34 attacks, and added 21 excellent digs.

Libero Dawn Macandili-Catindig, playing her second game since returning from national team duty, posted 27 excellent digs.

Despite the loss, Kurashiki Ablaze will compete for the bronze medal against Est Cola.

The championship match is scheduled for Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.