Steven Rotter completed his redemption story with an impressive campaign in the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference.
Last year, Rotter was expected to be a key player in Cignal’s Invitational Conference campaign, but a Grade 2 ankle sprain sidelined him for nearly the entire season.
Now fully healthy, the 6-foot-6 opposite spiker wasted no time making an impact. He quickly regained his form and proved his worth on the court by helping the HD Spikers secure a rare three-peat, clinching their third consecutive Open Conference title on Sunday night.
Rotter delivered 15 points, including 11 attacks, three kill blocks, and one ace, as Cignal took down Criss Cross with a dominant 25-22, 25-16, 28-26 victory in Game 3.
To cap off what has been an incredible campaign, Rotter was named Finals MVP, averaging 14.33 points per game in the Finals series. He also earned the Best Opposite Spiker award.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
“It always feels good to be healthy, so I can provide whatever I can give to my team. It can be on the bench, around the court — just my presence, my energy. I try to be as positive as I can be,” Rotter said.
“Sometimes I get hard on myself, but it’s great to be able to contribute and just be an overall good teammate and player to the Cignal management.”
Rotter reflected on the hard work — and tears — it took to get back to his best after a few months filled with setbacks and struggles. And he’s grateful that it all paid off in the end, with his perseverance and determination finally yielding rewards.
“Before the conference started, I told coach Dexter that I wanted to strive for MVP. It took a lot. It took a lot of tears, smiles, laughter, anger, and all that. I’m just glad that at the end of the day, it all paid off. Especially fighting with him, he’s a lot sometimes,” said Rotter.
With Cignal’s campaign now behind him, Rotter is turning his focus to the upcoming 2025 AVC Men’s Challenge Cup in Japan, where he will join the Alas Pilipinas pool, scheduled for May 11 to 18.
He’s excited about the opportunity to compete against top-tier teams from China and Japan, and eager to showcase the talent from the Philippines on the international stage.
“I’m looking forward to playing the best of the best — playing the top teams in China, Japan. It’s just an opportunity to face out-of-this-world talent, and I just want to show what we can do in the Philippines,” Rotter said.
