Simply superb

Cignal displayed grace under pressure to turn back hard-fighting Farm Fresh, 25-17, 26-24, 20-25, 30-28, and stay unscathed in three starts in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Vanie Gandler dropped a monster triple-double to lead the Super Spikers, who saved two set points in the fourth frame before outworking the listless Foxies in a mad dash to the finish. 

The Alas Pilipinas winger, who suffered a bum stomach days before the game, scored 25 points on a 24-of-69 spiking clip and contributed 15 excellent receptions and 14 digs in an all-around performance.

Despite her huge contributions, Gandler deflected credit to her teammates as she underscored the Cignal’s collective team effort especially in a very trying fourth frame. 

“I’m really proud of my team because we work really hard and we really try our best to apply everything that’s taught to us,” the Ateneo de Manila University product said.

“We still have many lapses, many things to work on, but I’m very happy with how we’re willing to learn and improve each training,” Gandler added.

Gel Cayuna orchestrated the Super Spikers’ fluid plays, delivering 19 excellent sets that Cignal converted into 62 attack points. The playmaker added seven points.

Erika Santos had 15 markers anchored on 13 kills and two kill blocks while Rose Doria-Aquino and Jackie Acuna submitted seven and six points, respectively, for the Super Spikers.

Cignal had some anxious moments in the fourth set when Farm Fresh rallied from two points down in the closing stretch with Jolina dela Cruz scoring three in the Foxies’ 5-1 run to reach set point advantage, 24-22.

The Super Spikers saved two set points and reclaimed the lead, 25-24, off a Santos hit. It was a see-saw match from there, with Foxies opposite hitter Trisha Tubu tying it at 28 with a hit.

Riri Meneses made a fatal mistake when she stepped on the service line for the Foxies’ last of 29 errors. Tin Tiamzon sealed Cignal’s win off a joust.

“Respect to our opponents. We expected that kind of game playing against a team filled with veterans. But good thing is that we improved on the aspect of how to handle those kinds of situations, like on crucial moment,” a relieved Cignal coach Shaq Delos Santos said of the two-hour, 21-minute encounter.

Farm Fresh absorbed a second straight defeat in as many outings.

Tubu scored 18 of her 19 points on attacks while Ces Molina had 18 markers, 13 excellent receptions and eight digs for the Foxies.

Royse Tubino chipped in 14 points in a lost cause.