Erika Santos erupts for a career-best 30 points as Cignal clinches PVL quarterfinal spot

The Cignal HD Spikers clinched a spot in the quarterfinals of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) On Tour preseason tournament after defeating the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, 25-22, 25-17, 21-25, 25-16, at the City of Passi Arena on Sunday, July 20.

Erika Santos delivered a career-best performance, scoring 30 points to lead Cignal and repay the trust the HD Spikers placed in her during the offseason. She received solid support from Ishia Lalongisip, who added 15 points and 13 excellent receptions, while Jackie Acuña contributed 11 points and three blocks. Rose Doria chipped in nine points, Tin Tiamzon added seven points and 10 receptions, and setter Gel Cayuna notched six points alongside 27 excellent sets.

“Scoring 30 points today is really special because it’s actually my first time reaching over 20 in the pros,” Santos said after the match. “It’s simple for me. I’m not satisfied with where I am now because I know I can still improve.”

“We just went back to what we’ve worked on. We didn’t allow ourselves to give up. It was good that we acknowledged what happened last night—our mistakes, our lapses, and the things we still need to learn,” she added.

The “last night” Santos referred to was Cignal’s tough 13-25, 28-26, 15-25, 15-25 loss to the Chery Tiggo Crossovers less than 24 hours earlier.

BIG 3️⃣0️⃣ CLUB 📡

The newest local player in the PVL’s 30-point club, Cignal’s Erika Santos.#PVL2025 #PVLonTour @spinph pic.twitter.com/HgEA554rmy

— John Mark Garcia (@johnmarkdg_) July 20, 2025

“She told me earlier, ‘Coach, I couldn’t even sleep last night,’” shared Cignal head coach Shaq Delos Santos. “That’s why I told her she bounced back stronger. It was good that we had another chance today to make up for what we lacked yesterday.”

“Honestly, we were really disappointed with how things turned out yesterday. We had expectations, but we had to accept what happened. We got back pretty late—around midnight—and still practiced this morning. This game was really important for us to reach the quarterfinals.”

With the win, Cignal improved to a 4-1 record, overtaking the Creamline Cool Smashers in the Pool B standings.

The PVL On Tour now takes a five-day break, after which the action will resume in Cebu City on Saturday, July 26.

OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.