RODRIGUEZ, RIZAL – Savannah Davison’s career-high performance powered PLDT past Chery Tiggo EV in four sets, 26-28, 25-12, 25-16, 25-13, to create a logjam at the top of the 2025 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference, Saturday at the Ynares Center Montalban here.
Davison tallied 36 points, surpassing her previous personal best of 34, on 33 attacks, two aces, and one block, along with 10 excellent digs and 14 excellent receptions.
Her outstanding performance secured a crucial win that gave PLDT the edge in the tight, three-way race for the No. 1 seed.
“Honestly, it’s hard because I’m just happy that we won. I honestly wasn’t keeping track of how many points I was scoring,” the PVL Invitational MVP said.
Despite the triple tie, the High Speed Hitters hold the points advantage over the Thunderbelles and the set ratio edge over the Foxies. This means a straight-set win over Petro Gazz in their final elimination match will clinch the top seed.
The victory also ensured that both Akari and Cignal have qualified for the quarterfinals.
PLDT’s pivotal match against the Angels is scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 PM at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The High Speed Hitters were pushed to the limit in the extended opener but quickly regained their rhythm in the following sets. They put on a commanding display that marked their fourth consecutive win of the tournament.
(C) PVL Images
Head coach Rald Ricafort said they didn’t truly fall short in the first set. Chery Tiggo EV, he noted, simply came in with extra intensity, having nothing to lose. Fortunately, he felt pleased with how his team responded.
“Hindi ko actually [masabi] na slow start eh. Talagang nagkakaroon lang talaga ng extra aggressiveness yung mga kalaban dahil, siguro nga, naghahabol talaga ng panalo at wala na pressure sa kanila,” Ricafort said.
“Yun lang talaga. Tulad sa game kanina, nung first set, okay naman yung ginalaw namin, siguro ‘yung breaks lang ng game sumakto talaga nung crucial points na pumabor sa Chery,” he added.
The High Speed Hitters showcased dominance across the board, overwhelming the Crossovers in every department. They recorded 61 attacks, 11 blocks, and 10 aces, while Chery Tiggo EV managed just 46 attacks, three blocks, and three aces.
Russian import Anastasiia Bavykina contributed 16 points on 11 attacks, four aces, and one block, along with 10 excellent receptions. Kianna Dy added nine points, and Dell Palomata chipped in seven in the one-hour, 42-minute win.
Kim Fajardo dished out 22 excellent sets and added five points, while team captain Kath Arado contributed 23 excellent digs.
(C) PVL Images
Chery Tiggo EV, meanwhile, teeters on the brink of elimination at 2-5. An Angels win later today against Capital1 would end their playoff hopes.
If Petro Gazz loses, the Crossovers still have a slim chance, but they would need to sweep their final game against Farm Fresh on Thursday at 4:00 PM and hope Petro Gazz and Choco Mucho stumble in their remaining matches to stay alive.
Cuban-Kazakh spiker Yunieska Batista was Chery Tiggo EV’s lone double-digit scorer with 27 points and 11 excellent digs. Jennifer Nierva contributed 13 excellent digs and 16 excellent receptions.
