Vanie Gandler credited Cignal’s improved chemistry and her national team experience after powering the Super Spikers to a crowd-tested win over the Choco Mucho Flying Titans.
Vanie Gandler welcomed signs of progress as the Cignal Super Spikers continued their strong start to the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
The Super Spikers pushed through a loud crowd of 2,717 spectators at the FilOil Centre to secure a 25-20, 16-25, 25-19, 25-18 victory against the Flying Titans.
Gandler led the charge with 16 points on 15 attacks and a service ace, improving Cignal to 2-0 in the standings.
“It feels good, of course. We worked really hard, and we continue to work very hard,” Gandler said during the post-game press conference. “I’m just happy that everything we trained for is showing in the game, and hopefully we will win more.”
Familiarity is key
Beyond the result, Gandler highlighted the team’s growing chemistry as a major factor behind the Super Spikers early momentum, noting that the improvement has been noticeable compared to last season.
Vanie Gandler spikes the ball during Cignal's four-set win over Choco Mucho in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference. | Photo: RM Chua/One Sports
It helps that Cignal decided to bank on its core rather than going all-in during the busy offseason.
“It’s a big thing, of course. In volleyball, you really need to connect with each other, and we always had the right players. We just need to know how to utilize each player,” she said.
“I’m happy that slowly we’re getting there, and our connection definitely improved compared to last year.”
[ALSO READ: Vanie Gandler confident Cignal core can stay competitive in PVL All-Filipino]
Handling large crowds
Gandler also pointed to her recent national team experiences as key in helping her handle pressure, especially in games where the crowd is largely against them.
“Playing for the national team, there’s so much pressure because you just don’t carry your team or school, you carry the whole Philippines,” she explained.
“When you go out there, there’s a lot of fear because you wanna perform the best you can for every Filipino that prays for us and supports us.”
With confidence building and chemistry continuing to develop, Cignal heads into its next match against the Farm Fresh Foxies, aiming to sustain its unbeaten run. That match will be on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.