Games Tuesday:
(Mall of Asia Arena)
4 p.m. — Farm Fresh vs PLDT
6:30 p.m. — Cignal vs Creamline
Cignal shrugged off a rusty start to school semifinals newbie Farm Fresh, 23-25, 25-14, 25-11, 25-12, for a rousing start in the round-robin penultimate stage of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Banking on their veteran composure and deep experience in high-stakes games, the Super Spiker flexed their firepower as they seized control of the match after surrendering the opening frame.
PVL On Tour Most Valuable Player Erika Santos spearheaded Cignal’s assault with 20 kills on her way to posting a game-high 21 points.
“We just reflected on the first set which we thought was winnable. So instead of panicking as Vanie (Gandler) said, we made a collective effort to adjust on our lapses,” Santos said.
Gandler dropped 18 markers on 13 attacks, three kill blocks and a pair of aces on top of six excellent receptions for an all-around performance in the Super Spikers’ push for a return to the finals since a runner-up finish in the 2024 Invitationals.
The second-seeded Cignal showed a bit of rust following a two-week break after clinching a Final Four seat in the Qualifying round before the Holy Week break.
“(From 1 to 10) I’d give our performance a seven or eight. It’s not enough to say that we’re OK. We’ve set a high target but I guess it’s good that we got through this because a lot of things can happen. We just need to be consistent every game,” Super Spikers coach Shaq delos Santos said.
Cignal will try to carry the momentum of the win when the Super Spikers battle crowd-darling Creamline on Tuesday at the same Pasay venue.
Tin Tiamzon contributed 11 points, Roelyn Doria-Aquino added seven markers while Gel Cayuna tallied 16 excellent sets and five points for Cignal, which pounded 58 attack points.
Seasoned libero Dawn Macandili-Catindig played superb floor defense with 24 digs and 10 excellent receptions as the Super Spikers asserted their mastery over the same rival they defeated in the preliminary round.
Cignal responded with the first set hiccup with a red-hot pounding in the lopsided second frame that put severe pressure on the Foxies, who received a rude welcome in their first semis stint since joining the league in 2023.
Farm Fresh had no answer to the Super Spikers’ relentless assault the rest of the way to waive the white flag after an hour and 55 minutes of action.
Trisha Tubu had a hard time getting her usual numbers as she was held down to 13 points, all from kills, while Royse Tubino got 12 markers on 10 spikes and a pair of aces for the Foxies.
Ces Molina finished with nine points for Farm Fresh, which shot itself in the foot with 27 errors.
The Foxies will try to rebound against top-seeded PLDT, which beat them in the Qualifying round, on Tuesday.