Vanie Gandler is embracing a bigger role with Cignal as she gears up for the upcoming Premier Volleyball League season, following her well-deserved long-term contract extension that secures her future as an HD Spiker.
Gandler understands that the trust given to her through the extension comes with greater responsibility — one she is ready to take on. With a renewed sense of purpose, the 24-year-old outside hitter vowed to push herself further and make a more significant impact for Cignal moving forward.
“There is more responsibility for me. But like what they always say, pressure is privilege, and you can’t reach greater heights without the risk of failure, without the risk of putting yourself out there,” said Gandler.
“So I always tell myself when I get scared: It’s the only way to get better, you know. The greatest athletes, they have to put themselves in a situation where they risk losing big, like what was at stake. But in return, they risked it and it finally worked for them,” she continued.
“So you know, I’m gonna keep risking it and learning from all my failures until we finally move forward and get what we’ve been eyeing.”
Stepping Up Amid Setbacks
(C) PVL Images
Cignal had a strong start in the 2024–25 PVL All-Filipino Conference, with Gandler and then-captain Ces Molina leading the team’s early surge. However, the untimely departures of Molina and veteran middle blocker Riri Meneses forced the HD Spikers into an abrupt recalibration that ultimately disrupted their momentum.
Despite these challenges, Cignal still managed an impressive 8-3 record in the eliminations to secure the third seed, thanks to Gandler’s leadership and the rise of rookie standout Ishie Lalongisip.
Unfortunately, the lack of offensive firepower proved costly. Cignal suffered a heartbreaking upset to tenth-seeded Galeries Tower in the qualifying round before bowing out in the play-in, ending what was once a promising campaign.
With reinforcements now arriving, Gandler is looking forward to building chemistry with Cignal’s newest additions and steering the team back into title contention.
“I’m so happy, like when I saw the announcements of all the new players. Of course, I haven’t really been training with the team since I’ve been with Alas the past month,” said Gandler, referring to Cignal’s recent acquisitions: Tine Tiamzon, Ethan Arce, Heather Guino-o, and Erika Santos.
“But whenever I see the post of the new player and I see them in practice when I visit, it makes my heart so happy because I really think that team Cignal deserves so much — not just us players, but the coaches and the management. We’ve all been sacrificing so much, and I’m so happy that these players chose Cignal ‘cause I know that we all have a goal, and I know that they can really do great in this team and they’re all gonna be a big asset for all of us,” she added.
Continuous Growth
For now, however, Gandler’s focus remains on her commitment to Alas Pilipinas, which is set to compete in a series of international tournaments during the national team window in preparation for the Southeast Asian Games later this year.
The 5-foot-9 open spiker said she’s enjoying the opportunity to grow by training alongside top-tier collegiate and professional talents such as Angel Canino, Eya Laure, Bella Belen, and Shaina Nitura.
“It’s been great. We’re a lot now. Finally. For the first few weeks of practice, we were only like four to six players, so it was quite difficult. But now we’re a lot more, and slowly the team is jelling more. I’m happy to be alongside such great players again — our outside hitter pool, I’m with Eya [Laure], Angel Canino, Bella Belen, Shaina Nitura, and then there’s me,” said Gandler.
She also had high praise for UAAP Season 87 Rookie of the Year Shaina Nitura, highlighting her excitement about playing with the young talent for the first time.
“For me, it’s such a privilege — wow, I’m playing alongside such great players, and it really motivates me, especially seeing players that are younger than me. They’re so amazing, like Shaina. I have such high respect for her because she’s really such a great player, and even though she hasn’t had as much experience yet as a normal player will have,” Gandler shared.
“She’s already so good and I’m excited to see her development. And I love being in the national team because of the competition, and also in practice — you learn so much and you really strive to be better,” she added.
Gandler, a former UAAP champion with Ateneo de Manila University, believes that being surrounded by elite talent will elevate her game. She hopes to bring everything she’s learned from the national team back to Cignal and help lead the HD Spikers to their first PVL championship.
#WATCH: Vanie Gandler is with Cignal for the long haul — ready to grow, lead, and bring more wins to the HD Spikers 🏐
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times#PVL2025 pic.twitter.com/kl3LXnLEJa
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) May 23, 2025
