Gandler going great guns

Vanie Gandler’s steady ascent into one of the top stars of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) has done wonders for Cignal.

Maturing and improving alongside the Super Spikers’ patient rebuilding in the past two years, Gandler has not only turned into one of the go-to hitters but also the club’s vocal leader.

The winger was at the helm of Cignal when it made a run for a breakthrough finals appearance in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference.

Gandler’s all-around game was on full display when the Super Spikers formally clinched their return ticket to the biggest stage after two years following a 25-13, 13-25, 25-16, 25-16 win over Creamline in the round-robin semifinals last Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Ateneo de Manila University product tallied 24 points, 10 digs, and 10 excellent receptions, holding her own against a powerhouse squad filled with seasoned outside hitters.

Gandler’s triple-double performance in Cignal’s finals-clinching game earned her the nod as the last PVL Press Corps Player of the Week presented by Pilipinas Live for this conference.

The high-scoring hitter credits her growth to the trust and patience given to her by the Super Spikers.

“We can’t explain how deep this is for us, kasi we know how hard we worked for this. I just have so much gratefulness for the team. The player I am today is because of them,” Gandler shared.

“The way the team is performing is because we just want the best for each other. It’s really not for ourselves, it’s for each other,” she added.

Although their semis-ending game against PLDT resulted in a loss, with Gandler barely seeing action to rest and scoring only one point in a no-bearing match, Cignal used the opportunity to give its bench live game exposure heading into the best-of-three championship against Creamline.

“Our focus isn’t that we go to the championship. Our focus is that we train like champions every day. So that’s what we do. We ask God for a championship. He’s gonna give us challenges, but we need to play like we’re champions,” Gandler said.

“It means the world because I see the qualities of a champion in each one of them. And it’s made me a better person and player.”

Gandler was the unanimous choice for the award decided by print and online sportswriters covering the beat, edging out Creamline’s Bernadeth Pons, Farm Fresh’s Trisha Tubu and PLDT’s Savi Davison.

Finals Game 1 of the league organized by Sports Vision is on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.