SIX months ago, Cignal found itself in hot water amid the contract row and eventual shock exits of veteran mainstays Ces Molina and Riri Meneses.
It even left the HD Spikers with just 12 players at one point — the smallest roster in the league earlier this year.
READ: Cignal sweeps Akari to book PVL on Tour semis seat
As a result, Cignal slid to a disastrous ninth-place finish in the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference.
That became the team’s worst PVL result in the four years it has spent in the league.
Fast forward to August in preseason play, the HD Spikers booked the first ticket to the 2025 PVL on Tour semifinals through its newest ace winger in Erika Santos who recently joined the league’s 30-point club.
Call it good karma of sorts, but such a six-month turnaround came as a result of Cignal’s resilience and unwavering trust in the face of adversity.
It even came to a point where delos Santos questioned if the team has enough time to rediscover its identity and be a title-contending unit after all they’ve been through in such short a time.
“Sa totoo lang, mabigat,” delos Santos admitted.
“Grabe 'yung mga challenges talaga na dumating and hindi namin alam kung ano 'yung magiging mukha nung team namin before dumating 'tong month na 'to.”
Cignal might be starting to get its act together after losing two of its most valuable pieces but by no means has it been indicative that they are already a competitive force right away.
“Yung commitment nung team namin ngayon, 'di kami malakas, sa totoo lang. Hindi kami 'yung team na talagang alam mong contender,” said delos Santos.
“Nasa rebuilding pa kami ngayon, pero 'yung papaano sila mag-commit, iba talaga.
“Marami pa rin kaming hinahanap, marami pa kaming gusto, but we're so happy kung nasaan man kami ngayon dahil nakikita namin kung sa'n pa kami papunta at ano pa 'yung pwedeng marating namin.”
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