MANILA — Cignal Super Spikers outlasted Creamline Cool Smashers in a grueling five-set war, 25-21, 24-26, 18-25, 25-22, 17-15, to punch their ticket to the semifinals of the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference in a two-hour, 30-minute thriller Thursday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
In a high-stakes rematch of their previous five-set duel, Cignal showed composure under pressure, dominating the deciding stretch to secure the second Final Four berth and join the PLDT High Speed Hitters.
Erika Santos ignited Cignal’s early push in the fifth set, while Vanessa Gandler delivered crucial hits late as the Super Spikers edged ahead in a tightly contested finish.
Creamline, however, refused to fold, saving two match points behind Diana Carlos and capitalizing on a Gandler miscue to extend the match, echoing their earlier comeback win over Cignal.
At 15-all, both squads traded blows before Cignal seized control. A costly service error by Jeanette Panaga handed the Super Spikers the advantage, and on the next rally, Alyssa Valdez’s attack sailed long. A challenge by Creamline confirmed no touch, sealing the dramatic victory for Cignal.
Santos led the charge with 26 points, while Gandler added 22. Playmaker Gel Cayuna orchestrated the offense with 35 excellent sets and chipped in 11 points, including timely attacks.
“Salamat sa teammates ko kasi kumapit talaga lahat. Grabe ang effort namin sa training at binigay nila lahat,” said Cayuna. “Kapag pressure game na, alam na namin kung paano i-overcome.”
The match marked the 13th five-set contest and the longest game of the conference so far.
Negrense Bernadette Pons paced Creamline with 20 points, while Valdez finished with 18. Panaga, Carlos, and Bea de Leon added 14, 12, and 11 points, respectively.
Despite the loss, the Cool Smashers remain in the hunt and will battle in the play-in round against the winner of the Akari Power Chargers–Choco Mucho Flying Titans clash for the final semifinal berth./PN
