Cignal chases redemption as years of heartbreak fuel finals breakthrough bid

For Cignal, the finals is no longer unfamiliar territory—it’s unfinished business. The Super Spikers have been here before, close enough to feel the weight of a championship, yet never quite able to hold it. Each return trip has carried the same promise, and each exit has left the same sting. But this time, the story feels different—not because the stakes have changed, but because the team has.

Their journey to this moment hasn’t been defined by a single loss, but by a pattern of near-breakthroughs. A straight-sets defeat in the 2022 Reinforced Conference. A painful five-set collapse against Creamline in the 2024 Invitationals. These weren’t just missed opportunities—they became chapters in a longer narrative of growth, frustration, and persistence.

At the center of that journey is Gel Cayuna, one of the few constants through the highs and lows. As a playmaker, she has seen matches slip away point by point. As a teammate, she has felt the emotional toll that comes after.

“Ang dami na rin talagang pinagdaanan namin. Ang dami nang iyak,” said setter Gel Cayuna, who was part of both runner-up finishes.

“Umaabot naman sa finals pero hindi talaga nanalo. This time, ‘yung opportunity na ibibigay ni Lord, talagang iga-grab namin at pagtatrabahuan namin.”

Her words don’t just reflect hope—they carry the exhaustion of repeated heartbreak, and the quiet determination to finally move past it.

On the sidelines, head coach Shaq delos Santos has been piecing together this version of Cignal for years. The process hasn’t been linear. It’s been a constant cycle of adjustments—rotations, systems, roles—all in search of something that works not just on paper, but under pressure.

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“Ako, bilang head ng team, ang dami ko nang ginawang way para makuha ‘yung tamang timpla, ‘yung pwedeng gawing adjustments, even ‘yung players, ‘yung adjustments na ginagawa nila sa’kin and kung paano nila i-absorb ‘yung system na ginagawa namin every day,” he said.

“Sobrang dami nang sakit na naramdaman namin for how many years and conferences na talagang hindi kami nainip at tinanggap lang namin ‘yung mga bagay. Sobrang natuto kami du’n. Hindi kami nag-give up.”

What sets this Cignal team apart isn’t just talent—it’s perspective. The repeated failures haven’t hardened them into a desperate group chasing validation. Instead, it has shaped them into a team that understands the process behind winning, even without having experienced it firsthand.

“To be honest, ‘di pa naman kami nagcha-champion talaga, pero may idea naman kami kung paano dapat mag-act nang tama, based na lang din sa experiences namin,” Delos Santos said.

“‘Yung championship kasi, nandiyan lang naman siya lagi. Ang pinaka-importante is kung paano mo siya tinatrabaho every day and kung paano ka mag-act as a champion din.”

There’s a quiet shift in that mindset. The goal is no longer just to win—it’s to become the kind of team that deserves to.

Now, as they step back onto the finals stage, the Super Spikers carry more than ambition. They carry memory. Every loss, every adjustment, every lesson learned has led them back here.

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