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Another household name in Philippine volleyball signs off from the PVL.
The Cignal Super Spikers are now the latest team to step away from the Premier Volleyball League.
Cignal announced their leave of absence on Tuesday, April 28, days after an impressive silver medal finish in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
“This is to officially announce that the Cignal Super Spikers – Women’s Volleyball Team has filed a Leave of Absence in the Premier Volleyball League. This difficult decision was taken after careful review of Cignal’s strategic direction,” their statement read.
“Our deepest thanks go out to the players, coaches, and staff who have poured their hearts into this team over the years. And to our fans, who have stood by us, maraming, maraming salamat!”
Of consistency and character
If there was one word to describe Cignal, it would be that of consistency. After all, the Super Spikers (then known as the HD Spikers) had been contenders dating back to their time in the Philippine Super Liga.
Long before joining the PVL, the Super Spikers copped one championship in the 2017 PSL Invitational Conference, sharing the gold with Kobe Shinwa University. Led by Rachel Anne Daquis and Jovelyn Gonzaga, Cignal’s gold was also accompanied by a trio of silver and bronze medals across a seven-year span.
As mentioned, this consistency stuck when Cignal turned pro, often remaining in title contention under the guidance of Shaq Delos Santos, and names such as Ces Molina, Riri Meneses, and Gel Cayuna.
Beyond the podiums, the Super Spikers also showed resiliency, refusing to fold despite the departures of GonzaQuis, and later on, the Molina-Meneses tandem. With their veteran core gone, Cignal then turned to player development under the guidance of head coach Shaq delos Santos.
There was the continued emergence of Vanie Gandler, along with a breakout campaign from Ishie Lalongisip in the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference. Cayuna and captain Dawn Macandili-Catindig, meanwhile, provided veteran presence in the non-scoring roles. Then, in the 2025 offseason, the Super Spikers struck gold with Erika Santos, who blossomed into a superstar at the right pin.
So by the time of their farewell, the Super Spikers looked ready for a breakthrough — led by a young core headlined by Gandler winning Conference MVP, and Santos’ continued rise as a star opposite in the 2026 All-Filipino Conference.
In what turned out to be their last tournament, Cignal finished the elimination round with a 6-3 slate, good for second behind the PLDT High Speed Hitters. Here, they also mounted a streak over the Creamline Cool Smashers, even sending them to the brink of elimination during the round-robin semifinals.
Come the finals, the Super Spikers came close to forcing a do-or-die Game 3 against the Cool Smashers. Though it did not materialize, that five-set thriller last April 23 was meant to be a statement that the Super Spikers were there to remain competitive.
Cause for concern
As one of the PVL’s pioneering franchises, the Cignal Super Spikers wrap up their stay with three silver medals and five bronzes across 15 conferences. That, along with their time in the PSL, shows a respectable trophy haul which could have soon included a PVL title.
Either way, Cignal’s departure is another cause for concern in local volleyball, being the fourth team to disband since December following the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, Petro Gazz Angels, and their men’s counterpart in the Spiker’s Turf.
So while the nine-team PVL field can capitalize on this development, it’s also hard to overlook this growing number of disbandments in the professional scene. Is this a sign of things to come in the future? How will stakeholders tackle the issue of sustainability when it comes to running a professional club team?
Images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.