Nakhon Ratchasima QminC VC flirted with disaster but stood their ground, fending off a spirited reverse sweep attempt by PLDT, 26-24, 25-20, 20-25, 20-25, 15-9, to secure the top spot in Pool D of the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League on Tuesday at the Philsports Arena.
What began as a dominant display nearly turned into disaster, as the Thai powerhouse watched their two-set lead vanish against a surging High Speed Hitters side.
But with the match hanging in the balance, Nakhon Ratchasima dug deep to hold off the Filipinas and close out the pool stage with a perfect 2-0 slate in the tournament that has Mikasa, Mizuno, and Grand Sport as federation partners.
After surviving narrow escapes in the opening two sets, the Devil Cat began to falter, their once-fluid rhythm slipping away as PLDT roared back with a relentless assault that dragged the match into a pressure-packed fifth set.
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The High Speed Hitters refused to back down in the decider, clawing their way to a slim 8-7 lead despite a sluggish start, fueled by back-to-back strikes from Majoy Baron and Cuban import Wilma Salas — a rally that momentarily put the pressure back on the stunned Thai side.
But just when PLDT seemed to seize control, Eva Chantava silenced the run with a blistering cross-court kill to level the score at 8-all. Then came the turning point — a costly centerline violation by Kianna Dy, confirmed by a successful challenge from the Devil Cat.
That swung the momentum back to Nakhon Ratchasima in dramatic fashion.
Cracks continued to show for the Philippine side when Salas failed to connect off a misfired set from Dell Palomata. Though the Cuban reinforcement quickly atoned for her mistake with a powerful hit through the block to cut the deficit to one, 9-10, it marked the beginning of the end for the High Speed Hitters, as momentum slipped further from their grasp.
Saowapha Soosuk and Kaewkalaya Kamulthala struck the final blows, taking full advantage of back-to-back errors from Salas. They shattered PLDT’s top seed hopes, sealing the match in a crushing, unforgiving finish as the Devil Cat ended the game on a blistering 8-1 run.
“I think the fact that we didn’t give up and we played as a team, it was very important. PLDT is amazing, they played amazing defense, they had a very good attack, so we had to adapt in this style of game,” said Chantava.
“I’m so happy that we played as a team today. Everybody helped and that was the most important for the victory,” added the 34-year-old Greek outside hitter.
The win earned Nakhon Ratchasima a quarterfinal showdown against Pool A’s second seed, Creamline, in the tournament also supported by local partners PLDT, MWell, Eagle Cement, Rebisco, Akari, Gameville, PNVF, PSC, Cignal, and The Look Group
American reinforcement Anyse Smith paced the Thais with 20 points on 16 attacks, three kill blocks, and one ace to go along with seven excellent digs.
Chantava finished with 16 points on 13 attacks and three aces, while the 38-year-old Onuma Sittirak added 14 points, 14 excellent digs, and six excellent receptions. Sasipapron Janthawisut, Tichakorn Boonlert, Kaewkalaya Kamulthala had eight markers each.
Japanese libero Yuka Makimori collected 23 excellent digs, while Tikamporn Changkeaw tallied 15 excellent digs.
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Meanwhile, PLDT now faces a daunting challenge ahead, squaring off with Pool A’s top-ranked squad, Zhetysu VC, in a high-stakes battle for survival in the tourney organized by Sports Vision.
Davison posted a game-high 28 points on 24 attacks, two kill blocks, and two aces laced with 17 excellent digs and seven excellent receptions in a losing cause. Meanwhile, Salas had a triple-double of 20 points, 18 excellent digs, and 16 excellent receptions.
Kianna Dy, meanwhile, had her best performance in a High Speed Hitters uniform with 12 points. Kath Arado came up with 28 excellent digs and nine excellent receptions to lead the team’s defense.
