Perez, Cignal survive ZUS for 2nd straight win

MANILA, Philippines – For Cignal import MJ Perez, it is always important to stay motivated each game.

It was magnified during the HD Spikers’ hard-fought 25-18, 29-27, 21-25, 25-22 win over the upset-conscious ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles Tuesday that sealed the former a second win in a row in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the PhilSports Arena.

It was a game that nearly sent Cignal to its first defeat after an impressive 25-18, 25-21, 25-16 decimation of Choco Mucho Thursday as ZUS showed it was an entirely different team from its winless campaign a conference ago and nearly pulled off an upset.

Good thing Perez and the HD Spikers stayed grounded and focused.

“Every match, we have to be motivated for our team to get out goals,” said the hard-playing, power-hitting Puerto Rican, who exploded with a match-high 30 points she laced with 26 bazooka kills.

“We’re happy we did our best even though we didn’t have the best performance, but every day is a lesson,” she added.

Cignal skipper Ces Molina agreed.

“Ang dami pa na lapses na dapat namin i-work on, dapat magawa sa training,” said Molina, who scattered 16 hits.

The Jerry Yee-mentored Thunderbelles did look like a polished team as they stared the favored HD Spikers eye to eye with Japanese Asaka Tamaru leading the way with a team-best 23 points.

ZUS also drew solid performances from its NCAA championship-tested stars from St. Benilde in Cloanne Mondonedo, who had 15 excellent sets, and the crisp-spiking tandem of Gayle Pascual and Michelle Gamit, who chipped in 14 and 13 hits, respectively.

But when it mattered, none was a match with the steadiness of Perez and Molina as ZUS dropped to 0-2.