Cignal’s Erika Santos during a PVL on Tour preseason tournament against Akari in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.–PVL PHOTO
VIGAN, Ilocos Sur — Erika Santos felt at home at Cignal as she made an immediate impact on her new team to kick off their PVL on Tour on a high note.
Santos, a long-time PLDT player, debuted in style as an HD Spiker, dominating Akari, 25-23, 25-14, 25-23, to win their first Pool B game on Sunday at Chavit Coliseum here.
READ: PVL: New-look Cignal crushes Akari in preseason opener
Cignal coach Shaq Delos Santos and Erika Santos after winning their first #PVLonTour game vs Akari.#PVL2025 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/ZLx1P5OUbY
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) June 22, 2025
“There’s no place like home,” Santos told reporters in Filipino.
“Of course, it felt overwhelming since it’s our first game on tour and also my first game with Cignal.”
Santos, who topscored with 14 points, said everything is going well with her new team after spending the past two years with PLDT, her first pro club.
“Every training session, we learn something new. And we never stop learning and listening to coach,” said Santos.
“But there’s no room for complacency. I’m still hungry to learn.”
SCHEDULE: 2025 PVL on Tour preseason tournament
The former La Salle Lady Spiker credited her easy transition to the leadership and playmaking of captain Gel Cayuna, who had 21 excellent sets on top of five points.
“It’s really good. She’s the type of setter who doesn’t complain,” she said of Cayuna, who is one of the reasons why she chose Cignal.
“Based on my experience here with Cignal, even when it’s clearly our fault, she’s the one who apologizes first. It makes us feel more accountable.”
Cignal coach Shaq Delos Santos is grateful to have Santos and Tin Tiamzon, who came out of retirement and tallied 11 points and 14 excellent receptions, hoping to build a stronger connection between his old reliables and newcomers.
READ: PVL: Cignal offseason recruiting spree nets three more vets
“We know they’ll have a big impact and really help the team. But at the same time, we still have a lot to work on. Hopefully, we can slowly bring them into our system, or better, speed up the process,” said Delos Santos. “It all comes down to working hard. There’s still so much we need to polish.”
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Santos and the HD Spikers take on the Capital1 Solar Spikers on Monday at 4 p.m.
“We’ll rest up, and we’re just thankful we won our first game. But this is just the beginning. We’re not stopping here. We’ll keep going,” she said.
