PVL: Vanie Gandler basks in first Conference MVP award: ‘I’ve fought through so many failures’

Once a target of criticism during her time with Ateneo de Manila University, outside hitter Vanie Gandler has blossomed into one of Cignal’s and the PVL’s premier players.

The 25-year-old’s status as one of the pro league’s brightest stars was further cemented when she was named as the 2026 All-Filipino Conference Most Valuable Player.

Putting in the hours to hone her skills, Gandler led the Super Spikers to their first finals appearance in an All-Filipino Conference. En route to the finals, the former Blue Eagle finished fourth amongst scoring leaders while also reaching the top 10 in several other categories.

“It’s very meaningful to me. I fought really hard to be where I am today. I fought through so many failures, I fought through so much doubt.”

Amidst the hurdles that she has had to jump over the past couple of years, Gandler expressed her appreciation for those who have stuck by her side, hoping that her journey towards excellence serves as inspiration for all people in their respective paths.

“I have a great career, I have a great team. I’m blessed to have this career. I have a great family and a great support system. So that's what matters to me,” asserted the AFC MVP.

“I’m pretty grateful for those that were with me. Like I said, I really want to show people na with hard work and dedication, you can reach your goals, that you can get anywhere.”

“It doesn’t matter what people say as long as you keep working and you believe in yourself,” she added.

Gandler also became only the second Atenean to win a PVL conference MVP after Philippine volleyball icon Alyssa Valdez won the award during the 2017 and 2019 Reinforced conferences, and the 2018 Open conference.

Valdez and Creamline setter Jia De Guzman, on the other hand, have won the Finals MVP award, with the former notching the award in 2022 and the latter winning the distinction a league-record four times.

After the finals series, the now 11-time PVL champion Valdez approached Gandler, who expressed her gratitude for their camaraderie and the veteran’s encouraging words.

“Ate Ly, she went up to me and she said that I deserve everything that I have and she really congratulated me and told me that there’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Gandler said.

“I super appreciate that…I’m really grateful for her. She had always been an ate to me, and of course, she was once my idol, and hearing those words from her means so much to me.”

—JMB, GMA News