NOT even Spikers’ Turf was immune from the wave of shock exits sweeping the local club volleyball scene.
League powerhouse Cignal has announced it will take a leave of absence ahead of the Open Conference in February, marking a stunning pause for the men’s league’s most dominant franchise.
LOOK:
“This difficult decision was made after a careful review by management of Cignal’s current and future plans,” the Super Spikers said in a statement released Friday.
Spikers’ Turf, the country’s premier men’s semi-professional volleyball league, is operated by Sports Vision, the same group that runs the PVL.
Cignal’s announcement comes amid an unprecedented period of upheaval across both leagues.
READ: Here's how much it costs to run a PVL team amid recent exits
In just the past two months, the women’s side has already seen major casualties, with Chery Tiggo disbanding and defending champion Petro Gazz also opting for a leave of absence.
Now, the men’s league loses its longtime standard-bearer, further underlining the scale of the ongoing reset in Philippine volleyball.
It also sends the likes of Alas Pilipinas Men team captain Bryan Bagunas, along with a handful of past and present national team aces in Owa Retamar, Louie Ramirez, Lloyd Josafat, Vince Lorenzo, JP Bugaoan, Steven Rotter, Jau Umandal, and EJ Casana, among others, into free agency.
The gold standard
For nearly a decade, Cignal served as the benchmark of sustained excellence in Spikers’ Turf.
Since entering the league in 2015, the Super Spikers missed the podium only once, finishing fourth in their debut campaign, before embarking on a dynastic run rarely seen in local volleyball.
Cignal went on to reach the podium in 16 straight conferences, amassing a staggering haul of nine championships, five runner-up finishes, and two bronze medals.
Their most recent podium showing came in the year-ending Invitational Conference, where they once again reminded the field of their staying power.
With Cignal stepping away, Spikers’ Turf now finds itself at a crossroads similar to the PVL’s, as the league braces for a season without its most decorated franchise.
Whether the Super Spikers’ absence proves temporary or signals a deeper shift in the men’s volleyball landscape remains to be seen.
For now, one thing is certain: another pillar of the local game has gone quiet - at least for the moment.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
