In the heart of every High Speed Hitter’s attack for the past year, there stood one constant—Savi Davison.
The explosive Fil-Canadian outside hitter has been PLDT’s offensive pillar, racking up 705 points across 118 sets in her first three Premier Volleyball League conferences.
Her standout play earned her the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference Best Outside Hitter award, a testament to her relentless dominance on the court.
But brilliance alone wasn’t enough to change the course of PLDT’s fate.
Despite Davison’s best efforts, the High Speed Hitters faltered in their quest for the Final Four. Three of the last four PVL conferences ended in heartbreak, with the team narrowly missing the semifinals in two of them—falling short by just one game on both occasions. Their most recent exit came in a thrilling but painful quarterfinal loss to the Choco Mucho Flying Titans last March 20, where Davison once again bore the weight of expectations on her shoulders.
Given a wildcard entry to the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League following the withdrawal of Japanese powerhouse NEC Red Rockets, PLDT didn’t waste time reinforcing their ranks. They welcomed back a familiar face to Philippine volleyball—Cuban powerhouse Wilma Salas.
“And obviously, welcoming Wilma and trying to build that chemistry that we didn’t have prior, so I’m glad that we did have that time to prepare for the AVC because it’s gonna be pretty difficult in the next upcoming games,” Davison said, aware of the uphill climb ahead.
With chemistry being a key concern in the past, PLDT’s latest win showed just how much of a difference a reliable reinforcement can make.
In their AVC debut, the High Speed Hitters steamrolled past Australia’s Queensland in a dominant 25-19, 25-12, 25-12 sweep. Davison once again led the charge with 14 points, while also delivering eight excellent digs and three receptions. But this time, she didn’t have to do it all alone.
Salas quickly made her presence felt with 10 points on eight successful attacks, providing the perfect foil to Davison’s aggressive firepower. Together, they formed a dynamic duo that powered PLDT one step closer to the quarterfinals.
“It’s nice not to have that ‘I must score’ feeling all that time and just set the pace on my own, in terms of how I play. Just focus on other things and help the team entirely,” Davison admitted.
“I think in this last game, I think midway through the game, I told myself I just wanted to focus more on defense and passing. Typically, that’s not something that really goes through my mind in the PVL, it’s usually towards offense.”
Freed from the pressure of having to carry the scoring load, Davison has begun embracing a more well-rounded role—something she believes is key to the team’s long-term success.
On the other side of the court, Salas looked right at home donning PLDT’s colors. The 34-year-old has played in the Philippines before, steering Petro Gazz to the 2019 Reinforced Conference title and returning for a brief stint with the Angels in 2024. But this time around, her mission is more personal—to end her Philippine journey with another title.
“I’m so happy for my comeback here in the Philippines. This time, I play for PLDT. I feel so happy because I feel like it’s a family with this team. Incredible girls, super coach. Nothing more to say about this because I feel like I’m home here,” Salas shared.
Having played for two different PVL teams, Salas reflected on the similarities, expressing her appreciation for the culture and camaraderie within both squads.
“The difference is like, nothing. It’s only about the coach, different coach, different approach, go more. The coach is a good person, the girls are good persons. I think it’s like the same. Nothing much of a difference, really,” she said.
