Erika Santos looked ready for the moment as the fifth set began on Thursday, with Cignal eyeing a decider in Game 3 against Creamline in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
The 5-foot-9 opposite spiker delivered the Super Spikers’ first three points, including a big block on Cool Smasher Jema Galanza, followed by a finger wag that fired up the 17,358 fans inside the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
However, Creamline lived up to its moniker. The team stayed composed under pressure as it erased a 7-9 deficit with an 8-2 finishing run to escape with a 25-23, 22-25, 25-16, 16-25, 15-11 victory and clinch the championship.
Santos was also instrumental in the match, but for the Cool Smashers’ cause — committing two costly attacking errors late in the fifth set, mistakes that stung more given the timing.
(C) PVL Images
“Siyempre thankful pa rin kami na nakarating kami dito sa Finals, pero hindi lang natatapos doon. Marami rin kaming nakuhang learnings and experiences na makakatulong sa amin in the future para mapatibay pa yung team,” said Santos on their silver finish.
Santos acknowledged she needed to improve individually as her first-ever PVL Finals appearance ended in disappointment.
The PVL On Tour MVP was limited to 10 points in Game 1 before bouncing back with 21 points in Game 2, although her end-game lapses proved costly.
“Siyempre mag-start pa rin ito sa akin eh. Sabi ko nga masarap maglaro under pressure. Yung tiwala nandoon naman, kung paano na lang talaga magma-mature sa mga tight situations and games, yun talaga,” she said.
Despite falling short in the Finals, it was still a strong campaign for the Super Spikers, who ended a four-conference podium drought.
With the season over and the Draft up next, Santos now looks to carry the experience from their AFC run into the next conferences to become a better player.
“Ngayon for sure, magre-recover muna kasi sobrang rollercoaster ng season na ito for us, and yun yung pwede naming baunin. Talagang aaralin namin at magre-reflect kami.”
