A team that was dominant since the qualifying round, Cignal fell flat on its face in Game 1 of the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference Finals.
The Super Spikers were far from super as the Creamline Cool Smashers overpowered them in a 25-22, 25-18, 25-16 sweep on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
But for Cignal star Vanie Gandler, there is no reason to hang their heads just yet, with the championship still hanging in the balance—now leaning toward Creamline’s side.
“Yeah, it was a tough loss, but it’s Game 1, it’s a best-of-three series for a reason. We’re just going forward and doing what we need to do to improve,” said Gandler after the 91-minute defeat.
“Creamline really did their best, so maybe we were overwhelmed with how we played, and yeah, it’s a new day tomorrow.”
(C) PVL Images
Gandler led Cignal’s offense with 17 points off 17-of-56 spikes, along with 10 excellent receptions, while Erika Santos was limited to 10 points on 9-of-39 attacks.
Setter Gel Cayuna added six points as the third-highest scorer, while starting outside hitter Tin Tiamzon was held to just three points.
Middle blockers Rose Doria-Aquino and Jackie Acuña were also quiet offensively, tallying three and one point, respectively.
Game 2 is scheduled on Thursday still at the historic Big Dome, giving the Super Spikers another chance to reset and avoid dwelling on their opening loss.
“Yeah, we’re approaching the loss with our heads up. Like I said, the championship series isn’t over, and we know the lapses and what we did wrong, so hopefully we’re able to bounce back,” said Gandler.
“That’s why we’re not dwelling on our loss today, we’re just focusing on our recovery and then what we need to do to improve our lapses.”
