Cignal is stepping away from the Premier Volleyball League just days after delivering one of its strongest campaigns in recent years.
The Super Spikers announced that they will take a leave of absence from the league — a stunning turn for a team just five days removed from a breakthrough run that saw them reach the All-Filipino Conference Finals for the first time.
The move also comes on the heels of a similar development within the franchise, with its Spikers’ Turf squad also previously taking a leave of absence ahead of the Open Conference.
“This is to officially announce that the Cignal Super Spikers – Women’s Volleyball Team has filed a Leave of Absence in the Premier Volleyball League,” the team said in a statement.
“This difficult decision was taken after careful review of Cignal’s strategic direction.”
The team did not provide a timeline for its return.
After a roller-coaster past two years, Cignal re-established itself as a contender behind the breakout campaign of Conference MVP Vanie Gandler, alongside a steady supporting cast of Erika Santos, Gel Cayuna, Dawn Catindig, Rose Doria-Aquino, Jackie Acuña, and Tine Tiamzon.
However, the Super Spikers’ resurgence ultimately fell short, as they bowed to a seasoned Creamline Cool Smashers squad in the Finals series via sweep.
The defeat notwithstanding, it still added to the franchise’s growing body of work in the professional ranks.
Cignal has been part of the league since it turned professional in 2021, collecting three silver-medal finishes and five bronze-medal finishes over that span — reaching the podium in eight of the 15 conferences it has competed in.
The Super Spikers’ departure also adds to a series of team movements within the same season, following Chery Tiggo Crossovers’ disbandment in December and Petro Gazz Angels’ earlier leave of absence in January, trimming the league to nine teams by the close of the 2025–26 season.
