CANDON, ILOCOS SUR — The ending may already be written, but for the former Cignal Super Spikers, there is still one more match to be played together—just not in the way they were once accustomed to.
At the 2026 Volleyball All-Star Showcase, several members of the disbanded squad will share the same court one final time, split across opposing teams but carrying the same goal of making the moment meaningful.
Erika Santos, Gel Cayuna, Dawn Catindig, and Vanie Gandler will suit up for Team Heart, while Jackie Acuña joins Team Hustle, turning what is usually a light exhibition into something heavier with emotion and significance.
Less than a week removed from their runner-up finish in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference—and only days after learning the team would go on leave—the All-Star match now stands as their final shared stage.
For the players, the mindset remains simple: compete and give the fans a good game.
“Syempre to give back to the fans,” said Catindig. “Para bigyan sila ng magandang laban at mag-enjoy.”
Cayuna, who developed into one of the league’s most dependable setters during her stint with the squad, carried the same gratitude heading into the showcase.
“Sobrang grateful ko rin kasi kinuha ako ng Cignal na di nila sure kung magpe-perform ba ko, pero sinugalan nila ako,” she said.
Gandler, fresh off a breakout conference, pointed to the bond they built as something that will stay with her regardless of how things end.
“The best thing for me is them, the teammates that I met,” she said. “They helped me become a better version of myself.”
Acuña echoed the same appreciation, recalling how the team gave her the chance to grow into her role.
“Sobrang grateful ako sa Cignal dahil nagbukas sila ng pinto kahit na hindi masyadong malaki ‘yung background ko ng college at ‘di ako masyadong nakapaglaro,” she said.
The exhibition also gives them one last chance to fully take in what the group meant to them—something that did not fully sink in during their final official game together.
“Hindi pa talaga nagsi-sink in,” Santos admitted, a sentiment shared across the roster.
Now, with one final opportunity ahead, the focus is not on what has ended, but on what remains to be done.
For one night here, it means setting everything aside and simply making their last dance together count.
