CITY OF SANTIAGO — PLDT’s early stumbles proved to be the wake-up call the team needed to get its campaign back on track in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
Since then, the High Speed Hitters have shaken off their slow start, notching back-to-back victories over Capital1 and ZUS Coffee. The streak has breathed new life into their Siklab series campaign, where every win could prove crucial as teams jockey for position in the race for the semifinals.
“I guess I can say na it’s bad, but the two losses were a wake-up call for us,” said Kianna Dy, who scored eight points in PLDT’s win over the Thunderbelles, 25-20, 25-18, 25-16, on Thursday at the Santiago Sports Arena here.
“Especially in this conference na important talaga yung points and important to make it to the top four. I guess for us it’s like a do-or-die na every game. We should give our all.”
(C) PVL Images
Dy said PLDT’s turnaround was less about changing its system and more about rediscovering its identity. The High Speed Hitters just needed an extra push during games to translate their solid performances in practice into results on the court.
The victory over ZUS Coffee came at a crucial time for PLDT, which is now level with Farm Fresh, Akari, and Capital1 for fourth to seventh places in the standings. All four teams hold identical 2-2 records.
“We just have to remember who we are kasi sa training, okay naman kami gumalaw. And I feel like we just need a little more push inside the game and we should want it more and work as a team talaga,” said Dy.
Beyond securing a crucial victory, Dy was also glad to finally give the Santiago crowd a game to remember after PLDT’s PVL On Tour match against ZUS Coffee was canceled on August 8 due to Tropical Depression Maymay.
“Always a pleasure playing in front of the fans, especially in Santiago City. We weren’t able to go [sa] On Tour, [so] super happy na nagawan pa rin ng paraan na we’re able to play in front of everyone,” she said.
With the High Speed Hitters finally finding their rhythm, Dy hopes the team can sustain its newfound momentum when it faces the Creamline Cool Smashers on November 5.
“We didn’t start the conference well, and hopefully tuloy-tuloy na yung momentum namin from our two wins and hopefully ma-build pa namin yung chemistry and work on pa yung kailangan naming i-work on.”
