Less than 24 hours after working together on the sidelines for the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in the UAAP, Cignal head coach Shaq Delos Santos and Galeries Tower mentor Lerma Giron found themselves on opposite ends of a Premier Volleyball League (PVL) battlefield.
Fresh off guiding the UST Golden Tigresses to a thrilling five-set victory over De La Salle University, Delos Santos and Giron barely had time to catch their breath before leading their respective teams in a crucial qualifying round match in the 2025 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
It was supposed to be a routine win for the third-seeded Cignal squad against a struggling Galeries Tower team that had managed just one victory in 11 outings. On paper, the HD Spikers were heavy favorites, expected to cruise past the tenth-seeded Highrisers. But as the match unfolded, Giron and her resilient team rewrote the script.
Against all odds, Galeries Tower stunned Cignal in four sets, 25-17, 25-22, 19-25, 25-19, pulling off one of the biggest upsets in PVL history. The victory not only sent shockwaves throughout the league but also secured the Highrisers' first-ever playoff appearance since joining the PVL in 2023.
“Muntik na ako mahimatay. Namutla ako — sa itim kong ‘to, namutla (ako),” Delos Santos quipped, drawing laughter from the press as he recalled his reaction to the stunning defeat.
Despite the painful loss, the former national team coach had nothing but praise for Giron and her squad, acknowledging their well-earned victory. The moment even led to a lighthearted gesture, as Giron found herself treating their UST coaching circle to a celebratory meal, thanks to some playful nudging from UST head coach Kungfu Reyes.
“Siguro yung relationship naman namin pagdating sa UST, respetuhan. And then, ‘yun nanlibre kasi siya eh. Sabi ko nga, di ko nga alam kung kakain ko ‘to kasi kahit ata asukal yung kainin ko, mapait pa rin yung lasa. ‘De joke lang,” Delos Santos said with a chuckle.
“Kidding aside, ayun, kinulit-kulit kasi siya ni Coach Kungfu… And kahit anong request namin, binibigay niya that day. So okay naman.”
For Delos Santos, the upset was a testament to the tireless work Giron and her team had put in over the past year. The Highrisers’ breakthrough performance was not a fluke but a result of relentless preparation and trust in their system.
“Well, yung respect naman laging nandiyan sa aming lahat. Kami naman… I think deserve din nila ‘yun that day, kasi grabe din talaga yung nilaro nila. Parang ang good thing sa kanila, never din kasi nila pinalitan yung routine kahit ano ‘man result ng game,” he explained.
“And that day, lumabas lahat kung ano yung in-invest nila before. Kami rin nagulat kung paano sila naglaro, pero pwede talaga siya mangyari. So ‘yung leadership din ni coach Lerma, kung paano niya i-guide yung players niya, yung system niya… Sa amin, siyempre deep inside, masakit din sa amin ‘yon, pero sabi ko nga, kailangan namin tanggapin.”
Determined to bounce back, Cignal wasted no time regaining their footing, overcoming Capital1 in four sets, 25-21, 22-25, 25-17, 25-15, during Pool A action of the play-in tournament.
With their confidence slowly being rebuilt, the HD Spikers now set their sights on a crucial showdown against ZUS Coffee—a match that could determine their shot at facing Petro Gazz in the quarterfinals. For Delos Santos, the sting of their loss to Galeries Tower served as a wake-up call rather than a setback.
“Sabi ko kanina, napakagandang panalo. Blessing ‘tong pagkapanalo namin. Kasi eto talaga ‘yung kailangan namin, not totally (para) makalimutan, pero lesson learned na lang sa amin,” he reflected.
“Siyempre, number one, kailangan mapanalo namin siya para makapasok kami sa quarterfinals. But then again, kailangan muna ulit namin mag-recover and mag-prepare talaga nang mabuti. Kasi ‘yung tao namin konti lang, pero ‘yung tiwala namin sa players at sa sistema namin, ibabalik lang din namin.”
