The Cignal HD Spikers made quick work of a struggling Akari side with a 25-20, 25-10, 28-26 sweep to advance to the semifinals of the PVL On Tour on Thursday, August 7, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

Erika Santos starred once again with 24 points on a 43 percent success rate, mixing power, finesse, and precision in her attacks. She capped the victory with a decisive crosscourt spike that landed on the line — a call Akari challenged but ultimately lost — sealing the match in just 1 hour and 34 minutes.

Cignal will face the winner of the Nxled vs Chery Tiggo quarterfinal showdown in the knockout semifinals set for Tuesday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Santos leads Cignal past late Akari rally

Santos exploded early with 19 points across the first two sets as Cignal dominated, but Akari showed signs of life in the third. Ced Domingo gave the Chargers a 17-14 cushion, only for Cignal to fight back behind Santos and a clutch block by Jackie Acuña.

Akari even reached set point at 24-23 after Ivy Lacsina’s block touch, but the HD Spikers leaned on grit and system play to fend off the charge and complete the sweep on their third match point.

“Kinapitan lang namin kasi nakita namin yung adjustment ng Akari – ang ganda ng defense at execution nila,” said Santos. “Sumunod lang kami sa sistema ni coach Shaq (delos Santos).”

Though initially unsure about the Best Player citation, Santos credited her teammates for their trust in her continued rise as one of Cignal’s top guns.

Early dominance sets tone for HD Spikers

Cignal brushed off early rust from a long layoff and overcame a four-point deficit with a strong finish to take the opening set. Santos scored eight in the frame and built on her momentum from a 30-point outburst against ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles on July 20.

Set 2 saw Cignal pull away early and never look back. Akari’s defense crumbled under relentless pressure as Santos fired 11 points in the set, pushing the lead to 22-8. The HD Spikers allowed just four hits from Akari in that stretch.

Despite a brief rally in the third, the Chargers couldn’t recover their rhythm. Head coach Tina Salak urged her players to shake off their nerves, but Akari looked visibly tense and disconnected — a stark contrast from their quarterfinal sweep of Petro Gazz.

Roselyn Doria added 10 points for Cignal, with Ishie Lalongisip scoring nine. Tin Tiamzon and Jackie Acuña chipped in six apiece. The HD Spikers outgunned Akari 47-37, held a 9-5 block advantage, and benefited from 19 Akari errors while committing just 13.

Eli Soyud led the Chargers with 13 points, followed by Domingo with 11. Lacsina and Soltones were held to just four each.

“Lahat pantay-pantay ang respeto namin,” said Santos about the semis. “Back to zero ulit. Pag-aaralan lang namin yung lessons sa mga previous games namin.”