Cignal outshines Solar Spikers to boost PVL playoff qualification

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Cignal Super Spikers handed the Capital1 Solar Spikers their second consecutive loss, 25-22, 25-21, 25-20, in the ongoing Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference on March 14, 2026, at the Playtime Filoil Centre.

Fresh off a sweeping win over the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, the Super Spikers picked up where they left off, becoming only the third team in the PVL to score a straight-sets win over Capital1.

Too efficient and crafty with their offensive execution, Cignal overwhelmed Capital1 from the get-go and did not give it any room to breathe until the final set.

The usual suspects in the opening set were Vanie Gandler and Erika Santos, Cignal’s offensive 1-2 punch, who set the tone for the team’s consistent romp.

Gandler kicked off Cignal’s scoring avalanche with efficient backrow attacks, backstopped by much-needed hits from Santos when the Solar Spikers threatened to inch closer in the opener’s final stretch.

Led by superstar Bella Belen, Capital1 trimmed its deficit to just two points after she sparked a personal 5-0 scoring run, but Santos’ back-to-back cross-court spikes and Gandler’s clutch drop ball helped Cignal move a point away from a 1-0 lead.

As soon as it bagged the thrilling first set, the Super Spikers never looked back, bolstered by much-improved floor coverage that neutralized Belen’s unpredictable off-speed spikes.

Aside from Gandler and Santos, the defensive duo of Jackie Acuña and Roselyn Doria-Aquino also stepped up when Cignal needed them most, specifically midway through the second set, shouldering the team’s four blocks in the period alone.

Cignal’s middle blockers also weaved their magic in the final six possessions of the third and final set, when Belen again attempted to rally Capital1 on her back.

From a seven-point deficit, Belen managed to pull Capital1 to within just three points, but Aquino’s crucial swat and Acuña’s off-the-block kill sealed the deal for Cignal, en route to a convincing 3-0 victory.

Gandler spearheaded Cignal’s masterclass with 23 points on 21 successful attacks, alongside eight excellent receptions, five excellent digs, and two kill blocks.

Santos chipped in 13 markers built on 11 successful attacks, while Acuña and Doria-Aquino added eight and six points, respectively.

Cignal will look to wrap up the preliminary round with a win on March 21, 2026, against the Creamline Cool Smashers, while Capital1 seeks redemption on the same date against the Galeries Tower Highrisers.