Santos all set to reach for the stars and help Super Spikers to first PVL crown
There’s no doubt that Erika Santos will be one hungry and determined cog when she plays in her first Premier Volleyball League conference Finals with the Cignal Super Spikers.
After signing with Cignal last year and emerging as MVP of the On Tour, Santos and the Super Spikers’ feared triumvirate she completes with Vanie Gandler and Gel Cayuna are going for a first-ever title when they face Creamline in a best-of-three title series for the All-Filipino Conference crown starting Tuesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“For sure, you’ll see how hungry I am. (This has) been years in the making, and now that I’m Finally here in the finals, I really want to go all out to win the medal and the trophy,” Santos told reporters in Filipino after only playing one set in Cignal’s straight-set defeat to PLDT in a no-bearing semis game on Thursday.
A certified star now, Santos vows to give her all and prove to be the missing piece as Cignal tries to go all the way in playing a third PVL finals. The Super Spikers lost to Petro Gazz in the 2022 Reinforced and to the Cool Smashers in a five-set heartbreaker in the 2024 Invitational.
“I’m really happy. The experience itself is a big deal, and you can see that all the hard work and goals of the team are starting to align,” said Santos. “But everyone’s still hungry, and for me, especially since it’s my first finals, I’m going to give my best.”
Cignal has had Creamline’s number here, claiming victories in the qualifying and then in the semifinals last Tuesday which resulted in this title series slot. They have played a total of nine sets in two matches.
And Santos will never waver against a crowd-favorite and an experienced champion team like Creamline.
“Like I always say, I enjoy playing under pressure,” she said. “It’s really up to you how you handle it and how you bring out your best to outplay your opponent.”
The former La Salle star attributed her rise to the trust the team has given her, especially Cignal coach Shaq Delos Santos, who turned her into an MVP and an All-Star starter.
“The transition wasn’t easy because I had to adjust to a new system,” Santos explained. “But the good thing is coach Shaq and the staff have really stayed patient with me. And now it’s starting to pay off.
‘The results are getting better, and hopefully I can give even more in the finals,” Santos concluded.
