“Hopefully, they find new teams if ever”: Shaq Delos Santos hopes Cignal players get a fresh start

For Shaq Delos Santos, the past weeks have felt like standing at two very different sidelines at once—one marked by silence, the other by urgency.

The veteran coach, long credited for building the Premier Volleyball League contenders Cignal into a consistent powerhouse, now finds himself in an unexpected transition after the Super Spikers’ leave of absence from the league. 

What could have been a period of professional limbo has instead turned into a different kind of responsibility, guiding the UAAP campaign of the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses deeper into Season 88.

The timing is emotionally complex. Cignal had just come off a runner-up finish in the 2026 All-Filipino Conference, falling to the Creamline Cool Smashers in the finals, before the sudden pause in their PVL participation. 

For Delos Santos, who helped shape the team into a perennial podium threat, the shift carried both pride in what was built and uncertainty about what comes next.

“Especially ako, nanghihinayang ako dahil parang for how many years ko sa Cignal, medyo ito yung nangyari. But I think lahat naman may purpose and may reason kung bakit nangyari ito. Siguro, tuloy-tuloy lang and I am sure magiging okay din ang lahat,” Delos Santos said.

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“Nanghihinayang ako, pero I think lahat naman may purpose.”

Cignal head coach Shaq Delos Santos opens up about the Super Spikers’ recent decision to take a leave of absence from the Premier Volleyball League. #PVL2026 | via @romwelanzures pic.twitter.com/epMuoj1hTF

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) April 29, 2026

Rather than framing the situation as an ending, Delos Santos has treated it as a pause in a longer narrative. His years with Cignal produced standout talents like AFC MVP Vanie Gandler and national team mainstay Erika Santos, achievements he now reflects on with both fulfillment and a sense of unfinished business.

“Siyempre, sobrang laki ng utang na loob ko sa Cignal. Grabe yung opportunity na binigay nila sa akin. And yung respect na natanggap ko sa kanila, kasi all throughout, nandiyan sila — through ups and downs,” the 46-year-old veteran coach said.

While his next PVL destination remains unclear, his focus has shifted to a more immediate battlefield which is UST’s stepladder run, where every match carries elimination pressure. 

His current priority extends beyond tactics—he has also been actively helping ensure his former Cignal players remain visible to other teams as they search for new opportunities during the league break.

“Siyempre, hopefully, magkaroon ng panibagong teams sila if ever. Ako rin, best effort sa mga kaibigan namin sa ibang teams kung ano ang puwede naming maitulong sa kanila. Siyempre, ayaw naman naming biglang mawawala yung trabaho nila kasi knowing them, pwedeng lumaban talaga,” Delos Santos said.

As UST prepares for a crucial stepladder semifinal clash against National University, Delos Santos has found himself coaching in a different emotional rhythm—less about building a long-term club identity, and more about maximizing short-term survival and momentum.

Still, the door is not closed on Cignal’s return and for Delos Santos, neither is his story with them.

“Mabigat pa rin at nanghihinayang ako, pero lahat naman may purpose. At kung may opportunity, puwede. Bakit naman kami tatanggi, ‘di ba?” he said. 

“Right now, nag-uusap-usap naman, pero sa ngayon, recover muna. Sa players, hopefully magkaroon sila ng panibagong team, if ever,” Delos Santos added.

For now, his journey continues in motion—one program paused, another advancing—but both still very much shaped by the same coach learning to carry change without losing direction.

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