For PLDT, there could be no better stage to seek redemption than the unforgiving knockout phase – where every point carries weight, where composure determines destiny, and where defeat can feel as crushing as losing someone dear.
Under the brightest pressure, the High Speed Hitters chose the perfect moment to rise again.
And rise they did.
With laser-like focus and a collective desire to reclaim their aura of invincibility, the High Speed Hitters dismantled the Cignal Super Spikers, 25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 25-21, to storm into the semifinals of the PVL Reinforced Conference at the Araneta Coliseum on Monday night.
“Cignal is really a very good team. We came into this game do-or-die – win or go home. But we came prepared, and now we’re in the semifinals,” said Savi Davison, whose 21-point, 13-reception performance earned her another Best Player of the Game citation.
“I think the playoffs are a big opportunity for us to really come together as a team and support each other. I’m just glad we started it off on the right foot,” she added, reflecting on the steady showing that carried them to their third straight semis appearance.
Their third-set stumble notwithstanding, the High Speed Hitters quickly re-established control by regrouping in the fourth and sealed a showdown with the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles for a spot in the Finals.
The Super Spikers had actually threatened to blow the match wide open when they surged to a 13-8 lead in Set 3, only to suddenly find themselves on the brink of defeat – and elimination – as third seed PLDT unleashed a fiery 8-1 run. Anchored on suffocating net defense, the High Speed Hitters stormed ahead, 16-14, off a net fault.
But the sixth-ranked Cignal refused to fold. KT Trebichavska took charge, powering the Super Spikers to a heart-stopping two-point victory capped by an Erika Santos redemption hit – and helped, too, by Davison’s mistimed jump.
Santos, who had been repeatedly stifled by PLDT’s defensive wall during that blistering run, delivered with a deep cross-court strike as Gel Cayuna outfoxed the defense with a crafty set. And just as PLDT seemed poised to force an extension, Davison leapt too early and failed to connect, allowing Cignal to escape with the set.
But PLDT found a spark in the fourth set through Alleiah Malaluan, who fired all four of her points during a crucial stretch that powered a 6-2 run and broke a 15-all count. From there, Davison took charge, scoring three of the team’s last four points – capped by a sharp blast to the Zone 5 corner that sealed the one-hour, 59-minute victory and punched the High Speed Hitters’ ticket to the semis.
“Full credit to Cignal. Pinush nila ulit kami lalo yung nakuha nila yung third set,” said PLDT coach Rald Ricafort. “From our loss to Petro Gazz nag-respond ulit yung players from the preparation saka sa game ngayon na na-feel namin yung challenge, yung bigat, pero ayun nga na-overcome naman namin. So, very happy na nakagawa lahat. ‘Yung pagpasok din ni Alleiah, sakto din, gumawa rin siya."
Nastya Bavykina backed Davison with 15 points, while Majoy Baron, Kim Dy and Mika Reyes shone with 11, nine and seven markers, respectively.
The numbers pointed to a tight encounter, with PLDT holding only slight edges in attacks, 54-50, and in blocks, 13-12. But the High Speed Hitters ultimately capitalized on Cignal’s miscues, earning 27 free points while giving up 21 of their own.
Trebichavska paced the Super Spikers with 18 points, while Erika Santos and Jackie Acuña chipped in 12 apiece. Ishie Lalongisip and Roselyn Aquino added nine and seven, respectively, as Cignal matched PLDT spike-for-spike and block-for-block for most of the match.
The victory did more than net the High Speed Hitters the last seat in the Final Four – it reignited their pursuit of a sweep of all three PVL titles this season.
The win also carried an emotional undertone. Just weeks earlier, Cignal had snapped PLDT’s astounding 15-game winning streak – a blistering run that powered the High Speed Hitters to back-to-back crowns in the PVL On Tour and Invitational.
Despite playing all-Filipino after parting ways with their ineffective import, the Super Spikers shocked the High Speed Hitters in straight sets last Oct. 21. It was a result that rejuvenated Cignal’s slumping campaign and, at the same time, exposed rare vulnerabilities in a team that had looked almost untouchable.
But even a 15-0 team is entitled to one off day – and unfortunately for PLDT, that misfire came against a sister team, sparking all sorts of chatter within the volleyball community.
Since then, however, the High Speed Hitters have undergone a quiet but resolute reset.
Their loss to Cignal wasn’t just a stumble – it became fuel. A reminder. A challenge.
Though they entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seed, PLDT treated the quarterfinal duel as an opportunity not just to advance, but to reclaim pride, restore order and reassert its dominance.
With redemption secured, PLDT now shifts its focus to a tantalizing semis showdown with the surging No. 2 ZUS Coffee squad, which also posted a dominant straight-sets win earlier in the day against Capital1. It will be a pressure-packed, do-or-die clash on Thursday – one step closer to a coveted berth in the finals, and one stride nearer to a rare and prestigious triple-crown sweep.
In the other semis bracket, giant-killers No. 8 Akari and No. 5 Petro Gazz collide after stunning top seed Farm Fresh and No. 4 Creamline, respectively, setting up a chaotic, unpredictable path to the championship.
But for PLDT, the mission remains clear.
Redemption achieved. Momentum regained.
Two wins away from franchise history.
