Capital1 made a massive statement on Friday, landing not just one but two reigning Most Valuable Players in former Cignal stars Vanie Gandler and Erika Santos ahead of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League season.
The Solar Spikers announced the acquisition of Gandler, Santos, and playmaker Jaja Maraguinot in a press conference held at the GameVille Ball Park in Mandaluyong.
Gandler and Santos were among those left without a team after Cignal decided to take a leave of absence from the league shortly after its impressive Finals run in the recent All-Filipino Conference.
After spending the previous offseason adding key role players to bolster its rotation, Capital1 has now taken a far bigger leap — this time securing proven stars in Gandler and Santos to put the finishing touches on its rebuild, forming a significantly strengthened core around rising centerpiece Bella Belen.
Gandler, who played alongside Belen under Jorge Souza de Brito over the past two years with Alas Pilipinas, is coming off her best performance yet in the all-local tilt. There, she was named MVP after powering the Super Spikers’ run to the championship round.
On the other hand, Santos’ breakout party came a bit earlier when she emerged as one of the league’s top offensive threats and claimed the MVP award in the PVL On Tour shortly after her move from PLDT to Cignal.
Gandler rose as the fourth best scorer in the All-Filipino Conference tilt, where she tallied 209 points built on 182 attacks, 17 blocks, and 10 aces. Meanwhile, Santos ranked sixth with 177 points on 160 attacks, 12 blocks, and five aces.
Their scoring prowess will be a major lift to a Solar Spikers side that ranked seventh in spiking efficiency at just 28.30-percent and struggled to generate consistent offensive production beyond Belen.
On the other hand, Maraguinot adds another playmaker to a squad that already has Jasmine Nabor, Iris Tolenada, and Nikka Yandoc. She last played for Nxled in the Reinforced Conference.
Capital1, which finished eighth in the All-Filipino Conference, will now get the chance to reset and retool when it opens its campaign in the PVL On Tour starting this June.
