Cignal may have gotten the better of Creamline early in the playoffs, but it quickly learned its lesson on Tuesday.
Facing the Cool Smashers in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference Finals, the Super Spikers were overwhelmed and outplayed at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Creamline flexed its championship pedigree, defeating Cignal in straight sets, 25-22, 25-18, 25-16, to move a win away from its sixth All-Filipino (including Open) title and 11th crown overall.
Head coach Shaq Delos Santos admitted that pressure and nerves got the better of them in their first Finals appearance in the All-Filipino Conference.
The Super Spikers’ other two Finals appearances came in the 2022 Reinforced and 2024 Invitational.
(C) PVL Images
“Kausap ko yung team, I think yung pag-handle namin sa pressure mismo sa sarili namin… And siyempre bukod sa ang ganda ng performance ng Creamline, which is yun talaga ang normal na laro nila,” said Delos Santos on what changed.
In the semifinals, Cignal secured its Finals ticket by defeating Creamline in four sets. The Super Spikers also reached the semis at the expense of the Cool Smashers via a five-set victory in the qualifying round.
Game 2 is on Thursday, still at the Big Dome.
“Ang medyo hindi okay ay hindi namin nailabas kung anong meron talaga kami — performance-wise, and then siguro yung pag-handle ng every situation. Siguro mas naging excited na na-pressure dahil first time championship and grabe rin yung crowd,” said the veteran tactician.
With their A-game suddenly disappearing on the brightest stage, Delos Santos is urging his team to play loose and simply let it all out in Game 2.
“Mas kailangan kong personally maniwala sa team and then sa sistema na meron kami. Ilaro lang namin. Sabi ko nga sa kanila, huwag niyo masyadong i-pressure ang sarili niyo, kasi mas gusto kong nailalaro natin kung ano yung naging investment natin before, paano tayo nag-prepare. Kaya nga tayo nakarating dito eh,” said Delos Santos.
“Kailangan lumabas lang ang totoong laro natin and that’s it. Wala na tayong ibang pagsisisihan at pag-uusapan. Yun lang.”
