CANDON, ILOCOS SUR — Savannah Davison was the first to admit that blocking had long been an area of struggle for her.
During her collegiate years at New Mexico State University and the University of Oklahoma, Davison often found it difficult to stay consistent at the net. Aware of this shortcoming, she made it a personal goal to refine her timing, positioning, and ability to read opponents’ attacks after graduation.
And her hard work has clearly paid off.
By the time she joined PLDT in the Premier Volleyball League, the 26-year-old winger had already developed into a capable blocker, able to stand her ground against some of the league’s most powerful hitters.
“I was actually the worst blocker in college. After college, I kind of tried to perfect the craft,” Davison shared.
That continuous effort has borne fruit. Fast forward to today, and she sits atop the blocking leaderboard in the first round of the 2025 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference.
Davison admitted that luck plays only a small part in her success, emphasizing that her rise is the result of hard work and constant attention to detail.
(C) PVL Images
“I’m not gonna lie, I get lucky at times, but for the most part, it’s a conscious effort — mentally, watching people,” she said.
“I’m just glad that it’s being executed well, and I’m glad it’s turning into points for our team,” added the Fil-Canadian spiker, who has tallied 15 blocks in five games during the opening round, averaging a league-best 0.94 per set.
Her improved blocking prowess was on full display on Saturday night. She teamed up with Anastasiia Bavykina and Kianna Dy to anchor the High Speed Hitters’ net defense in a 25-19, 19-25, 25-16, 25-20 victory over Galeries Tower at the Candon City Arena here.
Davison delivered three rejections on top of 18 attacks to finish with 21 points, while Bavykina and Dy each added four blocks in the team’s total of 15 — a key factor in fending off the Highrisers.
PLDT head coach Rald Ricafort lauded Davison’s blocking as one of her defining assets and expressed hope that her dominance at the net continues as the team moves into the critical stages of the second round.
“With Savi, isa ‘yun sa mga strong points niya. Nagkataon lang din na as a team gumagana kami kapag nagsisimula sa mga wingers — yung maayos na mark, maayos na blocking, ‘yun nga kapag one-on-one. So sana magtuloy-tuloy,” Ricafort said.
