Cignal back in PVL finals after forgettable season
- Rodolfo Dacleson II
- Apr 19
- 2 min read
Cignal looked formidable on its way to the qualifying round of the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, finishing third in the preliminary standings.
It seemed only a matter of time, however, before the then-HD Spikers got a reality check.
Heavy underdog Galeries Tower pulled off one of the tournament’s biggest upsets, relegating Cignal to the play-in tournament. From there, its campaign unraveled, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2024 Reinforced Conference.
The team also went empty-handed in the next three conferences.
Beyond the results, roster changes took a toll. Head coach Shaq Delos Santos had to maximize a thin lineup following the departures of Rachel Anne Daquis, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Ces Molina, and Riri Meneses, among key players.
It felt like the end of Cignal’s glory days. As it turned out, though, the setbacks only fueled Delos Santos and his players’ desire to break through.
The Super Spikers on Tuesday, April 14, advanced to the finals of the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference with a four-set victory over crowd favorite Creamline Cool Smashers, 25-13, 13-25, 25-16, 25-16, at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
It was their second win in as many matches in the round-robin semifinals.
“Sobrang dami ng sakit na naramdaman namin, siguro for how many years and conferences talagang hindi kami nainip. Tinanggap lang namin ‘yung mga bagay na kailangan naming matanggap and sobrang natuto kami dun,” Delos Santos said in a postgame news conference, as reported by Tiebreaker Times.
“Good thing kasi di kami nag-give up and yeah, sobrang sarap sa pakiramdam na papasok kami sa finals,” he added.
The Manny V. Pangilinan Group of Companies-backed squad last reached the PVL finals in the 2024 Invitational Conference, where it settled for silver behind Creamline.
Veteran setter Gel Cayuna credited the team’s unity for its deep run.
“Kinapitan namin ‘yung bawat isa and ‘di na kami naghanap ng kung sinu-sino pa. Kung ano ‘yung meron kami, ‘yun ‘yung nilalaban namin, ‘yun ‘yung tinatrabaho namin para makarating sa finals. Sobrang grateful ako sa lahat,” said Cayuna, who tallied 29 excellent sets.
Outside hitter Vanie Gandler echoed the sentiment.
“It’s really not for ourselves, it’s for each other. I can’t explain how meaningful it is for me to reach the finals again,” said Gandler, who scored a game-high 23 points and had 10 excellent receptions.
Setbacks are not the end of a journey in sports. For Cignal, they became the foundation of a return to contention — now just one step away from completing its redemption run.
Comments