In a match loaded with breakaways and momentum swings, Cignal proved steadier when it mattered most, outlasting Creamline in a clutch 25-18, 20-25, 22-25, 25-16, 15-11 victory in the PVL Reinforced Conference at the Ynares Center Montalban in Rizal, late Tuesday night.

Gel Cayuna’s masterful orchestration took center stage in the deciding frame. She varied her sets and distributed the offense with precision, keeping the Cool Smashers’ defense guessing and finishing with 28 excellent sets. Import KT Trebichavska also rose to the occasion, outdueling her counterpart Coco Schwan, in a tense closing stretch of yet another riveting chapter in the two teams’ long-running rivalry.

“We composed ourselves in the stretch since we know how Creamline plays in Set 5,” said Cayuna, summing up their gritty turnaround from a 1-2 set deficit to a stirring sweep of the last two frames against a team known for thriving in pressure-packed finishes.

The two-hour, 11-minute grind-out victory capped the Super Spikers’ late surge in the two-phase preliminaries, giving them a 5-3 record – identical to Creamline’s – as both squads brace for a likely quarterfinal showdown.

“Tinapangan lang namin,” Cayuna added of their fifth-set stand.

But the win was more than just guts. Cayuna controlled the tempo throughout the decider, setting up Vanie Gandler for a kill and feeding Jackie Acuña and Roselyn Aquino for a mix of quick hits, slides, and running attacks.

After trading the first six points, Cignal surged ahead 6-4 following back-to-back back-row strikes from Gandler, with Cayuna continuing to outplay Creamline setter Kyle Negrito.

The drama intensified midway through the set. Trebichavska hammered another back-row attack initially overturned by a Creamline challenge for a ball in/out, only for Cignal to counter with a successful block-touch challenge to preserve a 7-4 lead.

The Super Spikers threatened to break away at 9-4 after a Trebichavska ace. But just when Cignal seemed in full control, the 10-time champions mounted a familiar rally, scoring three straight to trim the deficit.

Service errors from both sides added to the tension. After Rose Vargas sent her serve long, Cignal restored a three-point cushion at 12-9. From there, Trebichavska took charge – scoring on her second swing of the rally, then sealing the match with an off-the-block finish after Acuña and Michele Gumabao traded hits.

Four Super Spikers churned out double figures, with Trebichavska leading the assault with 20 points. Gandler backed her up with 15 while Aquino and Acuña added 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Highlighting Cignal’s balanced firepower, rookie Jessa Ordiales delivered nine points and Erika Santos – typically among the team’s top scorers – finished with eight points in a more subdued outing but remained impactful.

Dawn Catindig anchored Cignal’s defense with 28 excellent digs, flaunting her sharp court coverage throughout the match.

Coco Schwan led Creamline with 25 points, but no other Cool Smasher reached double digits. Alyssa Valdez and Tots Carlos finished with nine markers each, while Lorie Bernardo stepped with eight point,s and Gumabao added seven.

Negrito came close to matching Cayuna’s stellar playmaking with 24 excellent sets.