For a brief moment, the tandem of Vanie Gandler and Erika Santos looked like the next big thing in the Premier Volleyball League.
It took some time before the two finally got the chance to enjoy a full conference together. Gandler was fulfilling national team duties and missed the entire PVL On Tour — which was Santos’ first tournament after transferring from PLDT to Cignal — as well as the Invitational Conference.
The 26-year-old opposite hitter delivered a breakout performance in the preseason tilt, emerging as a consistent offensive force and eventually being named Most Valuable Player while leading Cignal to a semifinal finish in the absence of Gandler and Dawn Catindig.
With Gandler back from her Alas Pilipinas stint, anticipation built up for the Reinforced Conference, which was supposed to be their first full conference together.
However, the former Ateneo standout suffered an undisclosed injury that forced her to miss the early part of the tournament, only suiting up in the later stages and limiting what could have been their first sustained run as a tandem.
Still, after a long and challenging wait, fans finally got a glimpse of what the Santos–Gandler partnership could truly become as they shared extended minutes on the floor and began to show the chemistry that had long been projected but rarely sustained. They eventually led the Super Spikers to a breakthrough Finals appearance in the season-ending All-Filipino Conference.
Gandler capped that run by winning her first-ever MVP award, finishing as the tournament’s fourth-best scorer, while Santos ranked sixth in scoring. Their combined firepower became one of the defining stories of the conference and a clear sign of things to come for the rising core.
But fate had other plans. The partnership was abruptly cut short following Cignal’s shocking decision to take a leave of absence from the PVL, leaving the promising tandem suspended in uncertainty just as it was beginning to find its rhythm.
(C) PVL Images
“It wasn’t easy, especially with the season that we came out of. We finally reached the Finals for the first time of the All-Filipino Conference, so it was really heartbreaking. But you know, in life you always have to move forward,” Gandler said.
“It was not easy talaga kasi ‘yun, kailangan namin i-process talaga ‘yung pangyayari lalo na hindi madali ‘yung kailangan namin i-decide so ‘yun,” Santos echoed.
What once looked like a sudden end eventually turned into just a pause, as Capital1 became the unexpected bridge where Gandler and Santos found their way back to each other.
In a blockbuster signing that immediately reshaped expectations, the Solar Spikers announced on Friday the arrival of the two reigning MVPs, signaling not just a roster upgrade but the revival of a partnership once thought to have been derailed.
Gandler expressed gratitude for the opportunity to continue what she started with Santos, saying the chance to reunite under Capital1 feels like picking up a story that was briefly interrupted but never truly lost. Moreover, both players are eager to see how far their partnership can now go with a fresh start.
“We’re very grateful na me and Erika (Santos) are able to play side by side still, kasi we only had half a year since she joined late and I was with Alas the time she joined. And the connection we built inside and outside of the court is something that took time and patience to really build with one another,” said the 25-year-old outside spiker.
The two have built a deep connection during their stint with the Super Spikers, where shared challenges and limited windows to play together forged a strong understanding on and off the court.
Santos and Gandler now carry that bond forward into the Solar Spikers, determined to turn familiarity into consistency and finally give full shape to a partnership that has long been waiting to fully materialize.
“It was really a conscious effort of calling each other out, talking to each other, not just inside the court but outside the court in terms of our work ethic, in terms of these things. So I’m really grateful that Erika is with me, still, ‘cause she knows how I work, she knows how to call me out and likewise,” Gandler explained.
“Siyempre, thankful din ako kasi si Vanie, andiyan ulit for me. And ‘yun, during last conferences nga with her, sobrang parang we got each other’s backs talaga so nagsasaluhan kami,” Santos added.
“So ngayon, malaking bagay siya kasi for me kasi ayun, ‘yung chemistry na na-build namin and outside and inside the court nga, maayos. So ‘yun, meron kaming open communication and anytime na kahit anong sabihin, talagang magco-communicate kami nang maayos.”
Eager to make an immediate impact, Santos and Gandler are now focused on helping Capital1 in the upcoming PVL season.
“Kailangan na naman mag-start ulit ng bagong journey pero ayun nga, nandito na kami sa Capital1,” said Santos.
