PVL: Erika Santos joins Cignal HD Spikers ahead of new conference

FILE–Erika Santos is headed to Cignal HD Spikers after her stint with PLDT High Speed Hitters in the PVL. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Erika Santos has found a new home at Cignal.

After four seasons with PLDT, Santos is off to a fresh start as the newest HD Spikers recruit ahead of the next PVL conference.

“Very thankful and grateful ako now for Coach Shaq and all of the Cignal HD Spikers management. Sana madala ko yun napakita ko this past season here and I’m also looking to improve more under our coaches and trainers dito,” said the 26-year-old spiker.

“Kahit na red uniform pa rin, it’s a new chapter in my career now so I’m looking forward to it and helping this team reach the heights they really want which is the PVL championship.”

READ: PVL: Buoyed by team’s support, Erika Santos proves her worth for PLDT

Cignal’s recruiting coup continues after signing the vastly improved opposite spiker, who will join recruits Tin Tiamzon, Heather Guino-o, and Ethan Arce.

The former La Salle Lady Spiker bid farewell to her first pro team, PLDT, last April 30.

Santos stabilizes the wing spiker rotation of coach Shaq Delos Santos as she teams up with holdovers Vanie Gandler, Ishie Lalongisip, and Judith Abil.

“We need some more experience kasi sa team naming to, and sana yun mga years ni Erika with Lasalle and PLDT, na-gain na nya yun mga kailangan nya na kailangan din namin sa team na ‘to ngayon, which is scoring,” said the Cignal coach.

“Hopefully, she can make an impact agad dito samin and I’m planning to have her start dito sa Cignal.”

After Ces Molina’s sudden exit with middle blocker Ria Meneses in the middle of the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference, Cignal still finished third in the preliminaries, only to fall to Galeries in the qualifying round and lost to ZUS Coffee in the play-in.

The HD Spikers are expected to continue their rebuild picking sixth overall in the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft on June 8.