CAPITAL1’s Vanie Gandler had mixed emotions seeing her former Cignal teammates across the net, but the familiarity did not make their first meeting as opponents any less challenging.
Gandler and Erika Santos, now playing for the Solar Spikers, faced Jackie Acuña and Gel Cayuna of Nxled for the first time since the Super Spikers announced their leave of absence from the league last April.
But the reunion ended in favor of Acuña and Cayuna as Nxled swept Capital1 on Saturday at the Philsports Arena.
The Chameleons extended their unbeaten run to five games, while the Solar Spikers absorbed their third consecutive defeat to slide to a 2-4 record in the All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series.
READ: Nxled outshines Capital1 to remain perfect in Siklab Series
“Sad, of course, but it’s also fun seeing them. We’re always laughing on our side of the court. It’s nice to see familiar faces, but it’s sad, of course, na they’re not with us anymore,” Gandler told SPIN.ph.
Acuña, for her part, also felt the weight of seeing her former teammates during warm-ups, admitting that she missed having them around.
“Nakakamiss sila kasama sa loob ng court. Pero masaya rin pala sila kalaban. Parang nagtatarayan kami sa loob, parang ‘I know you, girl,’” said the middle blocker.
“Malungkot pero at the same time challenging din kasi alam na namin yung galaw ng bawat isa. Ine-expect na nila yung gagawin mo, pero hindi, may baon ako, char,” she added.
THE STARS THAT NEED TO SHINE
But while the reunion brought smiles and familiar exchanges, Gandler and the Solar Spikers have bigger concerns to address as they try to find their footing in the conference.
When Gandler and Santos found a new home at Capital1, the Solar Spikers added two proven PVL talents to a roster already featuring rising star Bella Belen.
The franchise continued to bolster its lineup by acquiring Alas Pilipinas setter Julia Coronel and two-time UAAP Best Libero Detdet Pepito as its second pick in the 2026 draft.
But despite the star power, Capital1 has yet to translate its individual talent into consistent results.
The Solar Spikers struggled against a dominant Nxled side, which finished with 10 blocks compared to their zero, exposing one of the team’s biggest areas for improvement.
Gandler, who finished with seven points, acknowledged that the Solar Spikers still have plenty of work to do despite ranking among the league’s best in several statistical categories.
“I mean, it’s clear naman na there are so many things we need to work on. Like blocking, Nxled had 10 blocks compared to our zero block,” said the outside hitter.
“That’s definitely a problem because I know in the team ranking and skill ranking, we’re on top in almost all the skills except on blocking,” she added.
However, the Alas Pilipinas mainstay believes the bigger concern goes beyond one particular skill.
Capital1 cannot keep depending on individual players to deliver whenever the team needs a lift. The Solar Spikers need to develop better chemistry and learn to cover for one another.
“All the skills naman, but really more on our teamwork. We can’t just rely on one person to always save the day. We really need to work as a team and cover one another,” Gandler added.
With familiar faces now wearing different jerseys, Gandler has another challenge to embrace.
The reunion may have been bittersweet, but Capital1’s immediate priority is clear: turn its collection of individual talents into a team that can win together.
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