Cignal bounced back in style, compounding the woes of ZUS Coffee with a 25-18, 25-23, 25-22 victory in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Filoil Centre in San Juan on Thursday.
The Super Spikers returned to the win column, improving their record to 5-2 and moving into solo third place to boost their chances in the qualifying round.
“Sobrang thankful siyempre nakakuha din kami ng panalo namin, and that’s our goal before mag-start yung game. So medyo shaky yung preparation, but yung good thing nakuha namin and thank you, straight sets,” said Cignal head coach Shaq Delos Santos.
“Sobrang proud ako sa team dahil alam ko yung hirap na lagi naming pinagdadaanan and yeah good thing, magandang result.”
(C) PVL Images
With the Thunderbelles eager to even the match at one set apiece, Gel Cayuna rose to the occasion — not with her setting, but with her scoring.
Tied at 23 in the second frame, the four-time PVL Best Setter first denied Cess Robles at the net for set point. Then she hammered a through-the-block kill in an out-of-system play in the next sequence, giving the Super Spikers a commanding 2-0 advantage.
The Super Spikers then showcased their composure in the third set, erasing an 11-15 deficit behind the efforts of Vanie Gandler.
With ZUS Coffee holding a slim 20-19 lead, Gandler drilled four of Cignal’s final six points to seal the victory after one hour and 26 minutes.
“In the third set, I told the girls that ZUS Coffee is known as five-set queens. They’ve made so many comebacks. So, we can’t let them get ahead because we know what they’re capable of. So, we really tried our best to stay composed and to stay aggressive,” said Gandler, who finished with 20 points and 13 excellent receptions.
Rose Doria-Aquino added 11 points on nine attacks and two blocks, while Erika Santos and Jackie Acuña chipped in nine and eight points, respectively.
Cignal will have a lengthy break before returning to action on March 14 against Capital1, still at the same San Juan venue.
(C) PVL Images
Thea Gagate and Chinnie Arroyo scored 11 points apiece for the Thunderbelles, who saw their losing streak stretch to four games as they dropped to 1-6 in the tournament.
ZUS Coffee will next face skidding Nxled next Thursday at the same venue.
