Cool Smashers vs. Super Spikers: Thrilling Finals Clash Named Game of the Year

After a season packed with unforgettable battles in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) 2025-26, Creamline and Cignal saved the most exhilarating matchup for last.

In a nail-biting showdown, the Cool Smashers reclaimed the top spot with a 25-23, 22-25, 25-16, 16-25, 15-11 triumph over the Super Spikers, capturing the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference championship in Game 2 of the finals on April 23 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The high-octane, edge-of-your-seat action on one of the league’s brightest stages has earned this clash the prestigious Game of the Year honor at the 2nd Pilipinas Live PVL Press Corps Awards on May 30 at Novotel Manila Araneta City in Cubao.

Also set to receive special recognition are the Alas Pilipinas women’s beach volleyball team, which brought home the Philippines’ first-ever gold medal in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, and the Alas Pilipinas men’s volleyball team for their remarkable 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship run—finishing 19th out of 32 nations—and their SEA Games bronze in Thailand.

The finals match kept the 17,000-strong Big Dome crowd on the edge of their seats, highlighted by Cignal’s spirited comeback from a 2-10 deficit in the second set to seize it 25-22, leveling the series at one set each.

PVL On Tour MVP Erika Santos and 2026 AFC MVP Vanie Gandler teamed up to give Cignal a 9-7 lead in the decisive fifth set, threatening to force a Game 3. But Creamline’s championship poise prevailed, with Jia De Guzman, Jema Galanza, Pangs Panaga, and Tots Carlos combining for an 8-2 finishing run to clinch the victory, ending a year-long title drought.

Carlos sealed the win with a decisive off-the-block kill for the championship point, then capped it with a solid block against Gandler to secure the crown.

During the gala, league officials, the broadcast team, and the Press Corps will also honor the Stars of the Night, with one selected from the PVL and another from the Spikers’ Turf.