PVL: Cignal stages fourth set comeback vs PLDT to claim 5th bronze medal

Cignal crawled back from five points down in the pivotal fourth set to complete a 20-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-23 victory over PLDT and clinch the bronze medal in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference on Wednesday at the PhilSports Arena. 

An attack error from Cignal import MJ Perez sent PLDT to a 19-14 lead in the pivotal fourth set, but veteran Ces Molina stepped up to fuel their late rally after nailing back-to-back down-the-line hits. 

Setter Gel Cayuna then scored an unlikely point off a swipe of the ball before her rejection on PLDT reinforcement Lena Samoilenko had Cignal trailing by just one, 22-21. Samoilenko, though, responded with a powerful hammer on the left wing as PLDT moved two points away from forcing a fifth set. 

The following play saw a long lull after the referees initially called Ces Molina for an error, but Cignal eventually secured the point following a video challenge on that sequence. Perez then unleashed a cross court attack followed with a block on Samoilenko to reach the match point at 24-23. 

Perez made sure to deliver the finisher, soaring above the two-woman block of Kim Fajardo and Majoy Baron for the game-winning point. 

This will be Cignal's fifth overall bronze medal outing after finishing third as well during the Open Conference and Invitational in 2022. They also wound up third in the 2023 Invitational and 2nd All-Filipino Conference. 

PLDT, meanwhile, failed to claim its breakthrough podium finish and bounce back from a heartbreaking semifinals setback against Akari. 

—JKC, GMA Integrated News