Cignal will look to Vanie Gandler (right) to shoulder a heavy scoring load for the team. —PVL IMAGES
Losing players seems to be a theme for Cignal this season.
Somehow, though, that isn’t showing on the court.
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The HD Spikers bounced back from a first loss—one that ended their 2024 calendar—by demolishing Galeries Tower, 25-17, 25-20, 25-19, in the PVL All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
“For us, what we can first control is what we can give the players to maximize their talent and skills,” coach Shaq delos Santos said in Filipino as the HD Spikers improved to a 5-1 (win-loss) standing, tied with Petro Gazz at the top, despite their depleted personnel that is now down to just 12 players.
“I composed myself first because in being a coach, it is normal to get challenges. It’s all about how you will handle those situations,” Delos Santos said.
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Over the holiday break, the news of veteran talents Ces Molina and Riri Meneses leaving Cignal broke out as the duo allegedly ignored the team’s offer for contract extensions.
It wasn’t the first time the HD Spikers watched their teammates leave.
Before the conference started, Jov Gonzaga, who missed two import-laced tournaments last year, and Chai Troncoso bolted the squad for ZUS Coffee. AJ Jingco, Jheck Dionela and Rachel Anne Daquis, who was coming off a long hiatus, later announced a transfer to Farm Fresh.
Anngela Nunag transferred to Chery Tiggo while Chin Basas, Gen Casugod and Camille Belaro continue looking for new teams.
Commitment to roles
To fill what was left of the HD Spikers, Delos Santos started young outside hitter Ishie Lalongisip and the versatile Judith Abil, who the coach fields as an opposite.
“It’s a big thing [to have Lalongisip and Abil performing well] because they are some of our only players left,” Delos Santos said, adding that the rest of the remaining players have expressed their “commitment” to perform “whatever role the best that they can do.”
“That’s all we are asking for. We are not looking for them to come up with a performance level that’s too high or what but that they create points and do what they can to help on defense. [We also want them to be] fighters together with the leadership of Dawn [Macandili-Catindig] and Vanie [Gandler] on the court and then of course Angel [Cayuna],” he added.
Defense ace Macandili-Catindig has assumed the leader role left by Molina while most of the scoring responsibility will likely fall on the shoulders of Gandler.
“It’s challenging of course but then I’m not alone. I have the whole team, we have Ishie who can really step up,” the Ateneo product, who led Cignal against Galeries with 17 points, said. “We just didn’t dwell on [the player departures]. I think the only way to improve is to accept the challenges. So we just accepted the challenges that we faced and [felt] no pressure because we trained for this.”
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“[With all that has happened] I still think that we are still lucky and blessed because we still have a team that we can work on,” Delos Santos said. INQ
