Cignal's Erin Pangilinan and Creamline's Sheena Toring battled for the first time as opponents in the PVL on Tour after over a decade of being teammates at National University.
From teammates to opponents.
For the first time in their careers, Erin Pangilinan and Sheena Toring stood on the opposite sides of the taraflex, as the Cignal HD Spikers clashed with the Creamline Cool Smashers in the PVL On Tour on Tuesday night, July 1, at the Playtime FilOil Centre in San Juan.
The matchup marked a reunion of former National University standouts who were once pillars of the Lady Bulldogs’ historic UAAP championship runs. Now donning different colors in the pro ranks, the highly anticipated showdown carried extra weight.
“Going up against Coach She [Sherwin Meneses] and Sheena, siyempre nakakakaba rin at first kasi former coach at teammate, especially the rest of Creamline din kasi nakakasama ko sila sa training dati,” Pangilinan said during the post-game press conference. “Nakakakaba, at the same time, exciting na ganito na ‘yung laruan sa pro.”
[ALSO READ: Erin Pangilinan embraces dual position challenge after Cignal’s PVL on Tour upset of Creamline]
Pangilinan, who was selected sixth overall by Cignal in the 2025 PVL Draft, held her own in the matchup, contributing three points and solid defensive plays to help the HD Spikers pull off a stunning 25-22, 25-18, 28-26 sweep of the 10-time PVL champion Cool Smashers.
On the other side, Creamline’s 12th overall pick in the same draft came off the bench and chipped in four points, providing a spark in the middle despite the team’s first loss of the preseason.
For Toring, seeing Pangilinan perform well didn’t come as a surprise. She also lauded Pearl Denura, another former NU standout who went undrafted but was picked up by Cignal as a free agent
“Medyo nanibago, at the same time, kung ano ‘yung nilalaro ni Erin sa NU, parang ganun ‘yung nilaro niya sa Cignal,” Toring said. “Nandun ‘yung pagiging competitive, pati si ate Pearl. Ate Pearl din grabe ‘yung depensa niya kanina kaya na-challenge po talaga kami.”
[ALSO READ: Rookie Sheena Toring grateful to play for Cool Smashers: 'First pro team, Creamline kaagad']
While the matchup ended in favor of Cignal, it also served as a proud moment for both Pangilinan and Toring—a reminder of how far they’ve come since their NU days.