All it took was a change of scenery for Erika Santos to fully bloom.
In her very first stint with Cignal, Santos wasted no time making an impact, capping her breakout run with the Most Valuable Player award in the 2025 PVL On Tour on Sunday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The 25-year-old opposite spiker had shown flashes of brilliance during her time with PLDT, but it was with the HD Spikers where she finally broke through, clinching her first major individual award in the professional ranks.
Thriving as Cignal’s primary scoring option, Santos emerged as the preliminary round’s top scorer with 87 points — built on 78 attacks, six blocks, and three aces — tying Petro Gazz veteran Myla Pablo for the lead.
The former De La Salle University standout also displayed her efficiency, leading the spiking department with a 37.50-percent success rate — proving she is more than capable of being a go-to scorer rather than just a secondary option.
Meanwhile, the decorated duo of Myla Pablo (Petro Gazz) and Alyssa Valdez (Creamline) showed that they can still keep pace with the league’s rising stars after being named the Best Outside Spikers of the preseason tilt.
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The 31-year-old Pablo, who matched Santos in scoring with 87 points (76 attacks, 10 blocks, one ace), also ranked sixth in spiking at 33.19 percent and fourth in blocking at 0.56 per set.
The former league MVP added another feather to her cap with her fifth Best Outside Spiker award overall, her third in the professional ranks.
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On the other hand, 32-year-old Valdez once again highlighted her all-around game. She finished 10th in scoring with 69 points and earned a record ninth Best Outside Hitter award, while also ranking seventh in spiking (31.75 percent), ninth in service (0.32 aces per set), and 10th in receiving (35.12-percent efficiency).
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Farm Fresh’s Trisha Tubu continued to strengthen her case as one of the league’s brightest young stars, bagging her third Best Opposite Spiker award. She finished as the fifth-best scorer with 77 points, ranked third in spiking efficiency at 36.16 percent, and placed 10th in blocking with 0.50 per set.
In the middle, Creamline’s Jeanette Panaga and PLDT’s Majoy Baron stood tall as the Best Middle Blockers of the tour. Baron led the league in blocking with 0.81 per set (13 total), while Panaga closely followed with 0.79 per set (15 total).
This marked Baron’s third citation, while Panaga extended her dominance with a seventh career award in the category.
Rounding out the winners, Creamline’s Kyle Negrito claimed her fourth Best Setter award, while PLDT’s Kath Arado bagged her fourth Best Libero award.
Negrito steered Creamline’s offense with precision, topping the league in setting with 6.74 excellent sets per set, while also ranking fourth in service with 0.42 aces per set.
Meanwhile, Arado remained unmatched in floor defense, finishing as the league’s No. 1 digger (5.38 per set) and receiver (63.16-percent efficiency).
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