PLDT’s bid to repeat as PVL Invitational Conference champion has suddenly become a fight for survival.
After beginning its title defense on a high note with a victory over Thailand’s EST Cola, the High Speed Hitters were dealt consecutive setbacks by Nxled and Ho Chi Minh City, the latter entering their matchup without a win.
Those losses put PLDT at 1-2 early in the tournament and left little room for error in its pursuit of another championship.
The High Speed Hitters managed to steady themselves on Friday, however, overcoming Farm Fresh in four sets, 25-16, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20, at SMART Araneta Coliseum to move to 4-4.
But with a place in the gold medal match no longer solely within their control, PLDT now faces perhaps its biggest challenge yet.
Waiting on Sunday is Creamline, a perennial PVL powerhouse that has added another imposing weapon to an already loaded roster.
For PLDT, beating the Cool Smashers could be the result it needs to keep its title hopes alive.
Savi Davison, who carried PLDT against Farm Fresh with a tournament-high 32 points, believes the matchup could come down to which team is better prepared to seize the moment.
“Yeah, I mean, it's whoever comes wanting it more. It's really up in the air. I feel like anybody could win that game. So, it's, you know, whoever wants it more,” said Davison.
The game also offers Davison a new challenge.
For the first time, the Fil-Canadian star will share the taraflex with Jaja Santiago-Minowa, whose return to the PVL has added even more intrigue to an already highly anticipated Creamline-PLDT encounter.
Santiago-Minowa was already one of the league’s premier blockers during her previous PVL stint in 2021. She subsequently established herself in Japan, earning two Best Middle Blocker awards in the SV.League, the country’s top-flight competition.
Standing across the net from her will be Davison, the reigning 2025 Invitational Conference MVP and one of PLDT’s most explosive offensive weapons.
But Davison knows better than to reduce Creamline’s threat to a single player.
“Matangkad siya, tapos malakas siya talaga. Pero, it's just another person on the court for us. Like, we can't just focus on one person kasi ang dami nila,” said Davison.
“Kasi there's so much talent on that team that you can't really isolate one person like that. You know, it's just an added talent, of course. Pero lahat sila. Like, they're all good.”
Santiago-Minowa may have raised Creamline’s ceiling, but the Cool Smashers have been among the PVL’s dominant teams long before her return.
The franchise has collected 11 championships in the league’s 20 conferences, while Jema Galanza, Alyssa Valdez, and Tots Carlos continue to provide a steady core for the defending powerhouse.
That depth is precisely what makes Sunday’s assignment so difficult for PLDT.
Captain Kath Arado knows her team cannot afford to be intimidated by Creamline’s pedigree—or dwell on the difficult road that brought them to this point.
“Creamline is Creamline. Sila na ’yan. Sila nagcha-champion; sila magkakasama. Matagal na silang magkakasama. Nakakapagod silang kalaban pero well ganon talaga trabaho namin ito eh so kailangan namin pagbutihan pa kung gusto namin manalo. Kailangan namin mag-focus kung gusto namin manalo,” said Arado.
For the High Speed Hitters, the equation is now simple: win, then wait.
A victory over Creamline would strengthen PLDT’s chances of reaching the gold medal match, but the defending champions will still need results elsewhere to fall in their favor.
That leaves no room for excuses, according to Arado.
“Ang kailangan naming isipin ngayon: back to zero ulit kami. Nanalo kami ngayon. Back to zero. Kailangan naming magtrabaho. Kailangan naming pag-aralan kasi pare-parehas lang naman kaming pagod. Wala kaming dapat ireklamo sa game namin against Creamline."
