Cignal suffered a tough straight-sets defeat at the hands of home team Osaka Bluteon, 11-25, 21-25, 21-25, in their opening match of the 2025 AVC Men’s Champions League on Sunday at the Panasonic Arena.
Despite the loss, Cignal, reinforced by several members of the Alas Pilipinas national team, showed grit and determination, especially in the final two sets where they pushed the Japanese side to the brink.
After a lopsided opening frame where Osaka raced to an early 18-5 lead behind the efforts of Yuji Nishida and Shoma Tomita, the HD Spikers slowly found their rhythm. Marck Espejo, Kim Malabunga, and Jau Umandal helped Cignal piece together a late 5-3 run that gave them a glimmer of momentum heading into the second set.
That momentum carried into the next frame as Cignal grabbed a 7-4 lead, courtesy of key plays from Louie Ramirez and Malabunga. However, Osaka quickly regained control midway through the set. Lloyd Josafat’s quick attack kept the HD Spikers within reach, 16-17, but a 4-0 run powered by Tomita, Larry Evbade-Dan, and Nishida widened the gap to 20-16, ultimately securing a 2-0 advantage for the hosts.
Cignal mounted a spirited comeback in the third set after falling behind 10-18. Espejo led a fierce 10-5 rally, highlighted by a block on Nishida, bringing the Filipinos within three, 20-23. But crucial service errors in crunch time proved costly. Steven Rotter’s misfire gave Osaka match point, and although Ramirez managed to save one with a clutch kill, his ensuing service error sealed the win for the Japanese side.
Nishida paced Osaka with 13 points, while Tomita and Miguel Angel Lopez added 12 apiece in a well-balanced attack. The win gave Bluteon an early lead in the stacked Pool B with a 1-0 record.
On the other side, no Cignal player breached double digits. Espejo led with nine points, Ramirez added eight—all in the last two sets—while Rotter and Malabunga chipped in seven and eight markers, respectively.
With a 0-1 record, Cignal now faces a must-win situation against China’s Shanghai Bright on Tuesday to keep its quarterfinal hopes alive.
