Cignal emphatically punched its ticket to the qualifying round after dismantling Capital1 in straight sets, 25-22, 25-21, 25-20, in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference on Sunday at the Filoil Centre.
The Super Spikers became the second team to secure an outright ticket to the qualifying round after PLDT, improving to 5-2 and staying firmly in contention for the top seed heading into the final stretch of the preliminaries.
(c) PVL Images
“Sobrang special ng araw na ‘to. Ngayong Saturday, hindi ko alam kung ano pwedeng mangyari, pero ang maganda, yung preparation namin at yung skill ng mga players,” said Shaq delos Santos, who arrived slightly late for the first set after leading University of Santo Tomas to a straight-set win over Far Eastern University in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Women’s Volleyball Tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
“Itong Cignal, happy ako sa naging response nila doon sa preparation namin. Naging maganda ‘yung result. Sobra… sobrang, okay,” he added.
The Super Spikers asserted their dominance on both ends, overwhelming Capital1 in attacks and controlling the net with a 9-4 advantage in blocks, cruising to a one-hour, 26-minute victory.
Cignal also put the clamps on super rookie Bella Belen, limiting the top overall pick of the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft to just 16 points—below 20 for the first time this conference—and ending her seven-game streak of 20-point performances.
Vanie Gandler exploded for 23 points in the straight-set win, contributing 21 attacks, two kill blocks, and eight excellent receptions. Erika Santos added 13 points on 11 attacks and two rejections, while Jackie Acuna and Roselyn Doria Aquino contributed eight and six points, respectively, helping the Super Spikers break the tie with Creamline and seize solo second place.
Gel Cayuna also orchestrated the offense efficiently, dishing out 13 excellent sets in the victory.
Cignal will close out its preliminary campaign next Saturday against [opponent—needs clarification] at 6:30 p.m., at the same venue.
(c) PVL Images
Meanwhile, the Solar Spikers are headed to the play-in round after slipping to 3-5 with seven points in the standings. Sydney Niegos supported Belen with 10 points on eight attacks, one block, and one ace, while France Ronquillo and Shaya Adorador added five and four points, respectively, as Capital1 suffered back-to-back losses.
The Solar Spikers will finish their preliminaries against Galeries Tower on Saturday at 4 p.m.
