Est Cola bounced back in emphatic fashion, shutting down Farm Fresh in straight sets, 25-21, 25-16, 25-22, to secure its first victory in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Thai squad — which lost to defending champion PLDT in four sets, 23-25, 15-25, 28-26, 14-25 — vented its frustrations on the Foxies to force a four-way tie at 1-1 alongside Farm Fresh, Nxled, and the High Speed Hitters.
(C) PVL Images
With 17-year-old setter Natnicha Saelao leading the way, Est Cola steadily pulled away in the first two sets to take control of the match. The team then gutted out a close win in the third to secure its first victory in the six-team tournament.
Saelao finished with 22 excellent sets and seven points on four kill blocks and three attacks en route to earning Player of the Game honors.
“Today, we are so happy because of our teamwork, and I helped in everything. I was so excited for today and a bit pressured,” said Saelao after the win, with Est Cola dominating all scoring departments, 41-34 in attacks, 8-4 in blocks, and 5-4 in aces.
“Thank you for the experience today. Thank you to the fans in the Philippines for coming here. Thank you for everything, Philippines. Yeah, thank you a lot,” she added.
With team captain Hantima Aekpatcha sidelined after sustaining a right ankle injury in their debut loss to PLDT, Papatchaya Phontham led the way with 17 points on 13 attacks, three aces, and one block.
Nirarach Skrikuta added seven points and nine excellent receptions, while Nannaphat Moonjakham also scored seven points to go with nine excellent digs for Est Cola. Libero Jiratcha Naoprachun registered 11 excellent digs and seven excellent receptions in the victory.
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Est Cola will next face the Chameleons when action resumes on Thursday at 6:30 PM at the same venue.
For Farm Fresh, Trisha Tubu was the lone double-digit scorer with 15 points, all from attacks. The Foxies will look to bounce back against Creamline on Thursday at 1:30 PM.
