MANILA (UPDATED) – Cignal has inched closer to a podium finish in the 2023 PVL 2nd All-Filipino Conference.

The HD Spikers pummeled Chery Tiggo, 25-19, 21-25, 25-15, 25-20, on Thursday in the battle for third at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Vanie Gandler, who took Player of the Game honors, led her team with 21 points on 20 attacks and a block, while Jovelyn Gonzaga and Ces Molina had 15 and 13 markers, respectively.

The balanced scoring of Chery Tiggo, meanwhile, was not enough to surpass Cignal's brilliance in four sets.

Grateful Cignal coach Shaq delos Santos said they were happy to bounce back after losing their semifinal match against Choco Mucho.

• PVL: Choco Mucho overcomes Cignal HD, sets up Finals showdown with Creamline

"Sobrang blessed, kahit na nag-struggle kami no'ng last game namin, nakabawi kami. And importante para sa amin ito," Delos Santos said to reporters after the game.

"I'm very happy, of course, with how the team performed, given that we have not much time to rest. We're very tired, but today was really more of a test of character and heart," Gandler said.

"We all just poured our hearts out, and hopefully, same thing happens on Saturday," she added.

In case they win the series, this would be the franchise's fourth third-place finish in the PVL.

Game 2 is on Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

"Of course, we can celebrate the win today but we know that it’s a best-of-three series and that’s just one win. Now we have to get the second win and coming into the second game, we’re really gonna pour everything we have out," the Cignal hitter said.

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