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‘Forever Awesome’: Cignal stars accept final farewell after organizational decision
CANDON, Ilocos Sur – Five days removed from the sting of a finals loss, the Cignal Super Spikers found themselves facing a reality far more painful—one that, they would soon learn, marked the end of their journey together.
As it turned out, their Game 2 loss to the Creamline Cool Smashers in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference last Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum would be their last game together as a team.
On Tuesday, Cignal gathered once more—not for recovery, not for film, not for the next tournament—but for an ending, as the team officially announced that it would take a leave of absence from the league.
The timing made it all the more difficult to absorb.
They were coming off a breakthrough campaign—one that signaled a resurgence and firmly restored them to contender status after a year of rebuilding. Patience with the core had finally begun to pay off, with the pieces falling into place at just the right time.
There was still momentum, still something to build on.
But inside that meeting, the message was clear and final: the team would be disbanded.
For the players inside the room, it wasn’t just a team that ended—it was a chapter of their lives.
“Hindi pa talaga nagsi-sink in,” said Erika Santos, who played a key role in the Super Spikers’ turnaround over the past year, helping anchor the very resurgence that made the ending even harder to accept.
“Nasa stage pa ako na nagpo-process so siguro.”
Where Careers Took Shape
For many of the players, Cignal was never the place where expectations were first built—but it became the place where those expectations were finally met.
Not everyone arrived as standout collegiate stars, nor were they immediately defined by greatness upon entering the professional stage. But within the system, and over time, they found something that college volleyball rarely allows for: patience.
It was in that space that Gel Cayuna, a Far Eastern University product, gradually evolved into one of the most reliable setters in the league, turning consistency into a trademark that would later be recognized through multiple Best Setter citations, including a historic first Season Best Setter recognition.
For Cayuna, that growth came with trust she did not take for granted.
“Sobrang grateful ko rin kasi kinuha ako ng Cignal na di nila sure kung magpe-perform ba ko, pero sinugalan nila ako,” she said.
“Sobrang pasasalamat din sa Cignal kasi ang laki ng binago ng buhay ko dahil sa tiwala nila sa akin. Habambuhay akong magpapasalamat sa kanila.”
Santos, once part of a stacked De La Salle program where minutes were never guaranteed, eventually carved out a more defined offensive identity, culminating in a PVL On Tour MVP run that reflected how far her game had come.
Beyond everything, what stood out most for her was the environment she found within the team.
“Thankful ako kasi naipakita ko ‘yung true self ko sa kanila,” Santos shared.
“Hindi ako nahirapang mag-adjust and ‘yung transition from my past team, tapos sila agad ‘yung nakasama ko. Sobrang okay sa feeling na mag-work ka and at the same time, may family ka and sisters. Sobrang thankful ako sa Cignal.”
Meanwhile, Jackie Acuña, steady and often understated in her early years with National University, grew into a dependable force in the middle, later earning recognition as one of the league’s best in her position.
Her journey, she admitted, began from a place of uncertainty—but the Super Spikers gave her something she had long been searching for.
“Sobrang grateful ako sa Cignal dahil nagbukas sila ng pinto kahit na hindi masyadong malaki ‘yung background ko ng college at ‘di ako masyadong nakapaglaro,” Acuña said.
“Sila, sumugal sila kahit potential lang ‘yung dala ko. Magiging forever grateful ako sa Cignal.”
As for Vanie Gandler, who once faced scrutiny and heavy expectations during her Ateneo days, she found her scoring rhythm and confidence with the Super Spikers, eventually breaking through with an MVP award in the recently concluded All-Filipino Conference.
And she achieved that not just through individual growth, but through a nurturing environment and culture that allowed her game to flourish, with the team’s collective mindset playing a key role in her breakthrough.
“The best thing for me is them, the teammates that I met,” Gandler said.
“They helped me become a better version of myself because everyone really had one goal. We wanted to grow, and we knew that to grow, we needed to be collaborative. It’s not really a competition, and we have to work together.”
A Second Home
For team captain Dawn Catindig, the loss cut a little deeper.
Cignal wasn’t just a team—it was home.
It was where routines became comfort, where teammates turned into constants, where the uncertainties of a professional career felt a little more stable. Day after day, season after season, it gave her something steady to hold on to.
Now, that home is gone—again.
After F2 Logistics disbanded at the end of 2023, Catindig found a new beginning with the Super Spikers, stepping into a space that helped her rebuild and rediscover her place in the league.
But just as stability seemed to settle in, the cycle returned, and another familiar ending arrived far sooner than expected.
Now, she is once again faced with the difficult task of finding that same sense of belonging elsewhere.
For Catindig, it is a decision she does not intend to rush, choosing instead to take her time as she weighs her next step and searches for a place where she can feel grounded again.
“For me naman na medyo matagal na sa pros, very important sa’kin ‘yung team culture sa susunod kong pupuntahan. I’m taking my time in my decision kasi ang hirap pa rin maka-move on kasi very fresh pa rin kaya I’m just taking my time,” said the 29-year-old libero.
Business Decision
(C) Spikers Turf Images
Though the warning signs had been there, the disbandment of Cignal’s women’s volleyball team still came as a painful and unexpected blow for the players and staff involved.
Just a day before the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference opened, Cignal announced that it was releasing its men’s volleyball players while placing its Spikers’ Turf franchise on leave.
The men’s team, one of the most successful clubs in local volleyball, had built a decorated legacy with nine Spikers’ Turf titles.
Meanwhile, Cignal’s women’s program had been in existence since 2013, leading many to believe it would be spared from the restructuring.
“We never expected that kind of news. Kahit na may rumors, very hopeful pa rin kami,” said Catindig.
“But at the end of the day, it was a business decision, and we respect that. Alam naman namin na pinaglaban kami ng Cignal, and we have to go our own ways.”
However, just five days after the team finished a gallant runner-up campaign in the All-Filipino Conference, the final call came.
The move was part of a broader restructuring within Cignal TV.
For years, the company had struggled to turn a profit, with costly original productions under former CEO Jane Basas and the rapid shift of audiences to digital platforms leaving the conglomerate barely breaking even.
In sports, only UAAP coverage remained a consistent revenue driver for Cignal.
The situation was further complicated by the split between MediaQuest and ABS-CBN last December, which led some major advertisers to shift support to the Lopez-owned network.
This paved the way for Ricky Vargas to step in and lead a full restructuring of Cignal TV, resulting in sweeping organizational changes, including the momentary pause of its sporting teams.
Still, for the Super Spikers, despite how things ended, the memories remain meaningful.
For them, Cignal was more than just a team—it was a second home that helped shape and sustain their volleyball careers.
One For The Road
Before everything fully turns to uncertainty, the Super Spikers will still be seen side by side one final time at the 2026 Volleyball All-Star Showcase here—a brief but fitting reunion in a setting that celebrates the very careers Cignal helped shape.
Santos, Cayuna, Catindig, and Gandler will suit up for Team Heart, while Acuña joins Team Hustle, splitting familiar teammates into opposing sides but under the same final spotlight.
It won’t change what has already ended, but for one night, it offers something else—closure wrapped in competition, and a chance to step on the court together one last time before going their separate ways.
And in a chapter defined by departures, it will be one final moment to make it count.
“Siyempre to give back to the fans,” said Catindig.
“Para bigyan sila ng magandang laban at mag-enjoy.”
The post ‘Forever Awesome’: Cignal stars accept final farewell after organizational decision appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
CAPAS, Tarlac – Hussein Loraña narrowly missed a new national record while ruling the men’s 800-meter race, while the KG Mercuries, led by former national sprinter Anfernee Lopena, emerged from nowhere to capture the men’s 4×100-meter relay on the penultimate day of the ICTSI Philippine Athletic Championships presented by the Philippine Sports Commission Saturday night.
In another event-filled day at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium, the 33rd Thailand Southeast Asian Games gold medalist surged from behind in the final 100 meters to overtake erstwhile-frontrunner Oyam Kent Espinosa, clocking one minute and 48.39 seconds.
He was just 0.87 of a second off the seven-year-old national record of 1:47.52 set by Fil-Am Carter Lilly on April 19, 2019, at the Bryan Clay International in Azusa, California, in the meet co-presented by BCDA and New Clark City.
It was the third men’s 800-meter title for the former UAAP Season 86 MVP in the athletic showcase, with the ICTSI Foundation as title sponsor.
A two-time SEA Games men’s 100-meter bronze medalist, Lopena powered a strong start for the KG Mercuries, which was sustained by second and third runners Vicjardi Tapia and Ralp Anthony Lego.
It was left to PRISAA track standout Kent Paul Burdan to anchor the squad and bring home the gold in 40.56 seconds in the championships sponsored by CEL Logistics Inc. and UAAGI Auto Group Inc.
Pinoy Athletics settled for silver (40.57), while the national team (40.70) took bronze in the competition organized by Philippine Athletics, also supported by Pocari Sweat, Clark Water, and Masiv Sports.
However, the night did not go well for the national women’s quartet of Lauren Hoffman, Kristina Knott, Jessica Laurance, and Lianne Diane Palma, after the team was disqualified for a faulty handoff from Knott to Laurance.
Malaysia secured gold (45.63), UST took silver (48.62), and La Salle-Taft (48.90) completed a 1-2-3 finish in the women’s 4×100-meter relay of the tournament, which is also backed by Energya and Cherrylume.
(C) PATAFA
Under a new coach, 33rd SEA Games veteran Fil-Am Sydney Joshua Yap threw the hammer to a personal best of 50.65 meters to claim his first gold in the meet after finishing runner-up in the previous edition.
Aided by closest rival John Celestino Romero’s failure to register a valid mark in the pole vault, Janry Ubas completed a golden double with 6,440 points to capture the decathlon title.
Under the banner of the Philippine Vault Club, Romero took silver (5,865), while UST’s Rolly Royo earned bronze (5,634) in the 10-event discipline.
Early Sunday morning, 33rd SEA Games marathon silver medalists Sonny Wagdos and Artjoy Torregosa — who also competed in a 21K road race at the Manila Marathon the previous day — still had enough energy to top the men’s and women’s 10,000-meter runs, respectively.
Competing in their third event since Tuesday, Wagdos clocked 31:10.64 for his second medal of the trackfest after taking silver behind Yacine Guermali in the men’s 5,000-meter race.
(C) PATAFA
Torregosa added her second gold with a winning time of 36:34.74, following her 5,000-meter title earlier.
“Although sa tingin ko, kaya ko naman na ma-break yung record. Though sa tamahong panahon pa yon,” said Loraña after his near record-breaking performance.
“I am hoping to break it sa Asian Under-23 championships in Ordos, China, next month,” added the athlete ahead of the inaugural Asian U23 meet set from July 9 to 12 in the Chinese city.
“Ang sabi ko sa mga kakampi ko na hindi kami underdog at malakas kami na sa amin ang PRISA triple gold medalist (Burdan) and NCAA best freshman (Tapia),” Lopena said. “We knew we could win this race.”
“Solid team yan,” Clinton Bautista said matter-of-factly of the champion relay squad after he and fellow PH relay members Al Hyan Labita, Kent Francis Jardin, and Kharis Pantonial were left chasing the KG Mercuries.
The post Loraña nearly breaks national record, KG Mercuries rule relay in PH Athletics Championships appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
San Beda-Rizal, Bagong Ilog Volleyball Club, and Kaito Volleyball Academy topped their respective pools to lead the six teams advancing to the Echelon Under-16 Club Invitational second round on Friday at the SM Southmall Events Hall in Las Piñas City.
Joining the pool leaders in the next round, where teams will compete in a single round-robin format, are Parañaque Volleyball Team, Capital1, and PLDT.
The top four squads will advance to the semifinals of the tournament presented by Everyday Volleyball and supported by the City of Parañaque, Milo, Immuni+, McDonald’s, Rexona, Magnus Sports, Toby’s Sports, AveoWorks Solutions Inc., and Mama Lou’s.
The Baby Red Spikers dominated Pool A, cruising to four wins, including two that activated the mercy rule after securing a 15-point lead.
San Beda defeated PVT, 25-17, 20-5, while also beating HDE twice, 25-19, 19-4.
“It’s our first league na sinalihan no, it’s a very new team, so I’m very happy that the girls showed up, performed well, and showed discipline. It’s a very well-organized league. I hope this is the first of many leagues na ibibigay sa grassroots,” said head coach Ray Rosales, who shared that his Baby Red Spikers were formed just three weeks ago.
PVT still sealed its spot in the next round thanks to 25-21, 25-17 wins over the HDE Bulls.
(C) Echelon
Meanwhile, BIVC also finished undefeated in Pool B after 25-21 and 26-24 wins over Capital1, while also taking down Upskill Antipolo, 25-19, 18-3.
Reneez Cornes’ back-to-back hits on a quick attack and a solid block completed the BIVC Lady Phoenix’s comeback from six points down against the Capital1 Solar Sunnies.
“Mixed emotions po kasi this is my first time na mag-coach ng ganitong klaseng league, nagko-coach naman ako sa school pero this is my first time na ganitong setup. Sobrang thankful ako sa team kasi yung isang game, talagang ginawa ng girls ng paraan para makuha ‘yung game,” shared Lady Phoenix head coach Mark Adrian Cabralda.
Capital1, despite being tied with Upskill Antipolo at second with identical 1-3 records, will enter the next round due to superior point differential.
Created to strengthen the grassroots ecosystem of the sport, the inaugural Echelon U16 featured nine teams divided into three pools, with each team playing four games in a double round-robin elimination. The top two squads from each group will advance to the second round to be held on June 13, still at the same venue.
Director Rea Epistola of the Office of the Executive Secretary, Parañaque City Administrator Atty. Ding Soriano, and Parañaque RTC Executive Judge Leilani Dacanay-Grimares graced the opening ceremony of the grassroots tournament organized by Agencia de Echelon.
“Every great athlete starts somewhere. Not in a national training center. Not in an international tournament. But in local communities, school programs, and grassroots competitions like this [Echelon U16 Club Invitational]. This is where confidence is built, this is where talent is discovered, this is where dreams begin,” said Epistola, who also delivered the ceremonial first serve.
(C) Echelon
Kaito finished first in Pool C with a 3-1 record, posting 25-18 and 25-17 victories over Spike & Serve Volleyball Academy, along with a 25-19 win over PLDT.
The Junior High Speed Hitters later avenged their loss to Kaito with a 25-18 victory, finishing with a 2-2 record in second place.
Spike & Serve’s lone win came against PLDT, 25-11.
The post San Beda, Bagong Ilog, Kaito set pace as Echelon U16 moves to next phase appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
Another one of Bella Belen’s wishes came true on Wednesday night as Capital1 selected UST libero Detdet Pepito with the second overall pick in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League Draft, reuniting the former teammates at the professional level.
Belen had earlier seen one of her wishes fulfilled when the Solar Spikers signed reigning PVL MVPs and former Cignal stars Vanie Gandler and Erika Santos earlier in the offseason. Now, she has realized another, with Pepito—her former elementary teammate and close friend—officially getting drafted and beginning her PVL journey, bringing their shared path full circle at the professional level.
Indeed, things continue to fall into place for the once-rebuilding Capital1, as the team keeps adding key pieces to its young core in a move that could elevate it into contender status in the coming seasons.
For Belen, it feels like everything is meant to be.
“Siguro meant to be rin para sa amin ‘yung mga hinihiling ko,” said Belen.
“And thank you, Lord, thank you, Lord. Ayun, siguro meant to be lang talaga sila para sa Capital1.”
(C) Joaqui Flores/UAAP Season 86 Media Team
But while the Solar Spikers now boast an upgraded and promising roster, Belen stressed that talent on paper is one thing, and execution on the court is another, noting that it will ultimately be up to the team to put everything together.
“Since marami na kaming recruit this year, hopefully mas maganda yung team composition namin now, and siyempre hindi naman porket naka-recruit kami ng talented na players ay magiging madali na—training pa rin and chemistry pa rin,” said the 23-year-old outside hitter.
“Volleyball is a team effort talaga. Excited lang ako sa magiging journey ng Capital1.”
Belen also reflected on finally teaming up with Pepito, saying they never expected to reach this point when they were younger during what they jokingly referred to as their “jejemon days,” but are grateful that their hard work over the years has paid off.
She added that she is beyond excited to finally share the court with Pepito after years of fierce UAAP battles.
“Siyempre, noong mga panahon namin na ‘yun, noong jejemon pa kami, hindi namin in-expect na aabot kami sa ganitong lagay kung nasaan kami ngayon. And sabi ko, ‘yun nga, nagka-draft na eh, so may chance talaga na magka-teammate kami ulit, pero hindi ganun kalaki,” said Belen.
“So ngayon, sobrang happy ako na teammates ulit kami ni Detdet. Excited na ako kung paano na kami ngayon na hindi na kami jejemon, ’di siguro mas matured and mas marami na kaming lessons from past years namin as a player.”
The post Bella Belen’s wish comes full circle as Capital1 drafts Detdet Pepito appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
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