PASSI, ILOILO — PLDT has consistently delivered strong performances in the past two Premier Volleyball League conferences, excelling in the preliminaries.
However, despite their impressive runs, the ultimate prize — the championship — has remained out of reach.
In the 2024 All-Filipino Conference, PLDT came out blazing, winning seven of its first eight matches. But just when it mattered most, the momentum slipped away.
The High Speed Hitters lost two of their last three games in the preliminary round, missing out on a semifinal berth despite an 8-3 record. They fell short in the match points tiebreaker, becoming the last team eliminated.
A similar fate awaited them in the 2024 Reinforced Conference.
With Russian ace Elena Samoilenko bolstering the squad, PLDT advanced to the knockout rounds but suffered a heartbreaking five-set defeat to Akari in a controversial semifinal clash.
(C) PVL Images
Now, in the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference, PLDT is determined to rewrite its story and finally break through to the podium.
While the High Speed Hitters did not have the hottest start at 5-3, they won when it mattered most — securing three crucial victories to enter the qualifying round as a dangerous contender.
Their late surge began with a dominant win over Farm Fresh, followed by their biggest triumph of the season: ending Creamline’s 19-game winning streak with a dramatic 30-28, 25-21, 23-25, 18-25, 16-14 victory on February 15.
Then, in front of a packed City of Passi Arena here on Saturday, PLDT secured the fourth spot in the qualifying round with a commanding 25-20, 25-16, 25-15 win over ZUS Coffee.
“Maturity namin as a team kasi hindi na dapat kami yung team na kinakapos sa dulo eh. So napapatunayan naman namin yun sa mga past games namin. Kailangan talaga namin yung killer instinct na tapusin hanggang dulo yung laban,” said team captain Kath Arado, emphasizing the key to PLDT’s newfound resilience.
“Maturity para umabot kami ng dulo saka yung mamaintain namin yung health ng mga player,” echoed head coach Rald Ricafort.
PLDT now turns its focus to the ninth-seeded Thunderbelles, whom they will face in a do-or-die qualifying match for a spot in the quarterfinals.
A major boost for the High Speed Hitters has been the return of veterans Kim Fajardo and Kianna Dy midway through the preliminaries, giving them a complete lineup as they push for their first PVL podium finish.
To replicate their dominant performance against ZUS and make a deep playoff run, Ricafort and high-scoring Fil-Canadian star Savi Davison urged the team to remain locked in.
(C) PVL Images
“Siguro yung complacency lang wag papasok kasi yun nga yung goal namin para makaabot ng dulo,” said Ricafort.
“Just like what coach said — complacency and being comfortable. We don’t want to be comfortable kasi when we get comfortable, there are teams that can take over. We don’t want to give them the opportunity to do so,” added Davison.
With their confidence surging and their roster complete, PLDT is determined to finally turn potential into podium success.
The road ahead won’t be easy, but this time, the High Speed Hitters are ready to fight until the very end.
