CIGNAL, UNINTERRUPTED
Amid all the splashy signings in the offseason, Cignal opted to build on what it already had rather than join the chase for the sudden glut of available firepower.
The quiet approach is making sense early on in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
With their familiarity uninterrupted, the Super Spikers won a second straight start to the tournament after turning back on Choco Mucho, 25-20, 16-25, 25-19, 25-18, on Thursday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
The Flying Titans rocked the offseason with some big moves of their own, hauling back power hitter Sisi Rondina from the national program and signing Eya Laure, one of the most sought-after unattached talents—but they could not break the chemistry of a squad that has played through so much adversity together.
“It’s a big thing,” Vanie Gandler, who finished with 16 points, said about Cignal’s strong bond. “In volleyball, you really need to connect with each other and we always had the right players; we just need to know how to utilize each player and I’m happy that slowly we’re getting there and our connection definitely improved compared to last year.”
“We worked really hard and we continue to work very hard,” the former Ateneo star added. “I’m just happy that everything we trained for is showing in the game and hopefully we will win more.”
“Communication on and off the court is really important. That’s how we understand each other, and it shows in the results because our chemistry is good,” said Erika Santos, a former PVL on Tour MVP who continues to peak with Cignal.
“Honestly, that award is just a bonus. It’s not a big deal for me. I try to play the same way I would even without an award and make sure my hard work shows in the game,” Santos added after finishing with 18 points on 14 attacks, two aces and two blocks to lead the team.
“We just focused on the things we could control as a team,” she said. “It was a privilege to play against national team players on the other side. We stayed composed and focused on our strengths.”
National standouts
Cignal has its share of national standouts in Gandler and libero Dawn Catindig and their experience playing internationally is crucial for the team.
“[I learned how to be] mature and how to stay steady when pressure arises because playing for the national team, there’s so much pressure because you just don’t carry your team or school, you carry the whole Philippines,” she said. “Of course, when you go out there, there’s a lot of fear because you wanna perform the best you can for every Filipino that prays for us and supports us.”
Jackie Acuña finished with 13 points, including five blocks, while setter Gel Cayuna tallied 23 excellent sets and scored four points for the Super Spikers, who can make it three straight wins to open the tournament when they take on another heavily-retooled club, Farm Fresh, on Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Rondina led the Flying Titans with 20 points and 16 excellent receptions. Lorraine Pecaña scored 12 points, Laure finished with 11 points, 15 receptions and eight digs and Dindin Santiago-Manabat added 10 points.
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