MANILA — Cignal Super Spikers stamped their authority in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, dismantling defending powerhouse Creamline Cool Smashers to clinch the first Finals berth with a commanding 25-13, 13-25, 25-16, 25-16 semifinal victory on Tuesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
With the win, the Super Spikers improved to 2-0 in the single-round robin semifinals, assuring themselves of a championship round slot regardless of the outcome of their remaining match against PLDT High Speed Hitters on Thursday.
Cignal showed poise after an up-and-down start, regrouping from a second-set loss and asserting dominance in the final two frames behind an all-around brilliance from Vanessa Gandler, who delivered a triple-double performance of 24 points, 10 excellent digs, and 10 receptions.
“Every game is very hard, very crucial, so I’m just happy that we got today’s win,” said Gandler. “We tried our best to stay composed, do our best and give our all because we trained for this. Thankfully it showed today.”
Erika Santos provided strong support with 14 points, while Tin Tiamzon chipped in 13. Roselyn Aquino added 10 markers as Jackie Acuna and Cayuna contributed six and five points, respectively.
Creamline, which struggled to sustain momentum after a dominant second set, was led by Bernadette Pons with 17 points and Jessica Galanza with 10. Diana Carlos had eight points, while Bea de Leon and Jeanette Panaga finished with six and five, respectively.
In the other semifinal matchup, Farm Fresh Foxies kept their Finals hopes alive after a hard-fought 25-23, 18-25, 25-19, 25-23 win over the High Speed Hitters, eliminating the latter from title contention.
Trisha Tubu powered the Foxies with a game-high 28 points built on 26 attacks and two blocks to earn Player of the Game honors as Farm Fresh improved to 1-1 in the semis.
“Siguro nagtiwala lang ako sa teammates ko at kay God,” said Tubu in a post-game interview. “Mas masaya kami ngayong conference, yung tiwala talaga sa isa’t isa ang naging susi sa panalong ito.”
Farm Fresh will face Creamline in a crucial match to determine who will challenge Cignal in the Finals./PN
