The Cignal Super Spikers celebrate their breakthrough win in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference. PVL Media Bureau
MANILA — Cignal defied the odds on Tuesday night to regain its footing in the 2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference.
The Super Spikers, who kicked off their campaign with back-to-back losses, just stopped PLDT — the hottest squad in the league right now — on its tracks in dominant fashion, 25-17, 25-22, 25-21, to finally break through the win column without an import.
The team released its Greek import, Eva Chantava, after its 0-2 start.
READ: PVL: Import-less Cignal halts PLDT's 15-game winning run
More importantly, the Shaq delos Santos-coached squad is finally seeing sunshine, but at the expense of their sister team's 15-game winning run, which spanned from the 2025 On Tour and the 2025 Invitational.
For Delos Santos, their import situation was a "wake-up call" for the team, and this was the moment for him to ignite his players' passion.
But first, he shared how missing Chantava impacted the team.
"Siguro both [addition and subtraction]. Medyo marami rin kaming natutunan nung nandiyan [si Eva Chantava], nung wala. Pero ang pinaka-happy kami is 'yung nagising din lahat," said coach Delos Santos after the game.
"Nagising kaming lahat, even ako na may kailangan din akong gawin bilang coach na kausapin ko 'yung team, i-motivate ko sila, and i-encourage—ano ba 'yung goal, ano ba 'yung purpose?" he added.
He said that this was their chance to channel the negatives into positives, emphasizing how they should focus on the "things they should be thankful for."
"Pina-realize din sa kanila 'yung mga bagay na ang dami [naman] nating kailangang ipagpasalamat, pero mas nagfo-focus tayo dun sa iilang bagay na parang mas nalulungkot tayo, bakit natin ina-allow 'yung mga ganung bagay?" said Delos Santos, who's also the coach of UST Golden Tigresses.
"Good thing, yesterday talaga 'yung pinakamatindi pero happy na araw, so nadala namin 'yon," he added.
They played without pressure and expectations as they entered the taraflex without a reinforcement, said Delos Santos.
"Na-surprise ako kasi no expectations talaga itong laro na ito. 'Yun lang talaga 'yung sinabi ko sa kanila. Nag-training tayo, gawin niyo lang lahat ng ginawa natin and that’s it. No expectations. Gawin lang na yung kung ano yung nararamdaman o yung plano," he said.
The Super Spikers are expected to announce their official replacement for Chantava soon, as they need to play with an import in the Reinforced Conference.