PVL Finals spotlight falls on Gandler, Pons

All eyes will be on Vanie Gandler and Bernadeth Pons when Cignal and Creamline collide for the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference crown, with both veterans expected to bring firepower, grit and leadership to a best-of-three Finals series that begins Tuesday at the Araneta Coliseum.

While younger stars have topped the scoring charts this conference, Gandler and Pons enter the championship round carrying the weight of experience and all-around play, qualities that could prove decisive as two of the league’s most battle-tested teams fight for the title.

For Creamline, the Finals run comes with familiar expectations and fresh urgency.

Coach Sherwin Meneses has stressed the importance of health in the Cool Smashers’ push for an 11th championship, but Creamline’s chances will also depend heavily on how Pons delivers for a team that has battled injuries and survived a demanding road that included multiple do-or-die matches to reach its 15th Finals appearance.

“Of course, I’m very grateful because the core of our team is still intact. That’s something we’re bringing into the Finals,” said Pons in Filipino. “We know it won’t be easy, so we have to work hard for every point. We need to put in the effort starting in training, and we have to want it more – the desire to win the remaining games.”

Pons helped power Creamline through the semifinals, erupting for 28 points against PLDT before adding 17 points against Cignal and 12 against Farm Fresh.

“Our goal is really to win the championship this conference,” she added, reflecting on Creamline’s title-less campaign last season after completing a historic Grand Slam the year before.

Standing across the net, however, is a Cignal side that has leaned on the intensity and edge of one of the league’s fiercest competitors.

Gandler has been central to the Super Spikers’ rise, most notably in their semifinal win over Creamline, where the former Ateneo standout produced a triple-double of 24 points, 10 digs and 10 receptions to secure the franchise’s first Finals berth.

“We can’t explain how deep this means for us because we know how hard we’ve worked,” said Gandler. “I’m just so grateful to the team because the player I am today is because of them.”

For Gandler, Cignal’s breakthrough is rooted less in individual success than in a shared commitment within the roster.

“We want the best for each other. It’s really not about ourselves – it’s about the team,” she said.

If both stars reach peak form, their production could cancel each other out and shift the burden to the supporting cast, a possibility both players appear to welcome.

“I’m confident in our team that we can make it back to the Finals,” said Pons. “Our start may have been shaky because the level of competition has really gone up. Every game is a battle now, and that’s a challenge for us. We’re just grateful we survived each game, even if our run wasn’t perfect. The team is still there.”

Gandler, for her part, said Cignal’s approach is about more than simply making the championship round.

“Our focus isn’t just making it to the Finals. Our focus is training like champions every day,” she said. “We pray for a championship, but that comes with challenges – and we have to play like champions.”

“It means the world to me because I see the qualities of a champion in each one of my teammates. They’ve made me a better player and person,” she added.

Even as she acknowledged Cignal’s discipline and strong system, Pons said Creamline will focus primarily on its own execution.

“They’re playing really well and are very disciplined as a team,” she said. “But for us, we’ll focus more on what we can do on the court. We’re grateful that everyone is healthy and complete heading into the Finals. We’ll continue to work for it in training.”

“For now, we’ll recover first so we can come back at 100 percent,” she added.

With a four-day break giving both teams time to recover, recalibrate and study each other’s tendencies, the stage is set for a high-stakes Finals duel between two seasoned contenders.

When Game 1 begins, the spotlight is expected to fall most sharply on Gandler and Pons, whose performances may not only shape the series opener, but also define the race for the PVL’s ultimate prize. (PVL)