Erika Santos and the Cignal Super Spikers are back in the hunt after back-to-back wins in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference.
Despite struggling in the previous two outings, Erika Santos rediscovered her lethal offensive form just in time to save Cignal’s campaign in the 2025 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference.
After losing their first two games in Pool A of the import-spiced conference, the Super Spikers finally lived up to their new monicker as Santos and the crew barged into the win column, stunning the erstwhile-unbeaten PLDT High Speed Hitters, 25-17, 25-22, 25-21, last Tuesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The PVL On Tour MVP unloaded 17 points as the all-Filipino Super Spikers ended PLDT’s 15-game winning streak.
On Santos’ 26th birthday, the PVL rising star bucked a slow start and fired 21 points to overcome Nxled, powered by Paola Martinez’s 38, in a nail-biting five-setter, 25-21, 23-25, 20-25, 25-15, 16-14, to rise to a 2-2 win-loss record.
For her massive bounce-back performances after barely being felt in their losses, Santos was hailed as the PVL Press Corps Player of the Week presented by Pilipinas Live for the period of October 21 to 25.
“Siguro sa akin personally, nag-stay focus lang kami saka composed. Hindi namin tinitignan kung ano yung past games. Siguro mas namomotivate kami para maging eager pa sa panalo,” said the 5-foot-9 opposite spiker.
“Masyadong stiff yung bawa’t isa [nung first two games]. Parang nakakalimutan namin kung saan kami, kung ano yung skills ng bawat isa. Nananaig yung mga errors namin na nakafocus lang kami, hindi kami makapag-move forward. Trinabaho lang namin, nag-reflect kami kung ano man yung kailangan namin i-improve.”
Santos became the first local player to win the weekly plum in the Reinforced Conference deliberated by print and online reporters covering the pioneering professional volleyball league organized by Sports Vision after Akari import Annie Mitchem bagged the recognition last week.
The former La Salle Lady Spiker, who found much success under Cignal, beat imports Anna DeBeer of ZUS Coffee, Eli Rousseaux of Farm Fresh, Marlee Smith of Choco Mucho, Yuni Bautista of Chery Tiggo, and Lindsey Vander Weide, as well as PLDT star Savi Davison, for the weekly citation.
In their five-set conquest of the Chameleons, Santos was the perfect complement to their new import, Katrin Trebichavska of Slovakia, as the latter fought off jetlag and unfamiliarity with the system to help the Super Spikers secure the win.
“Siguro samin sa teammates niya, nakakatulong siya (Trebichavska) kasi parang factor yung light na mood niya at explosive siya, so nacha-challenge din kami. Thankful kami kasi na-share niya yung experience niya samin,” shared Santos.
Santos and the Super Spikers seek to finish the first round on a high note against the Capital1 Solar Spikers on Friday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
All games will be streamed live and on-demand via the Pilipinas Live app and on ?www.pvl.ph?.