PLDT’S 15-BLOCK PERFORMANCE ENDS GALERIES TOWER’S RESISTANCE
CANDON City, Ilocos Sur – Upset over its lackluster second-set showing, PLDT regrouped and unleashed a powerful display of net defense to overpower Galeries Tower, carving out a 25-19, 19-25, 25-16, 25-21 victory in the PVL Reinforced Conference at the Candon City Arena here on Saturday.
The High Speed Hitters, determined to bounce back after their brief stumble, turned the match into a showcase of defensive brilliance. Their airtight blocking stood as the cornerstone of their triumph, shutting down the Highrisers’ attacks and stifling their rhythm in the third and fourth sets.
Even at less than peak form, PLDT still proved too much for the winless Galeries Tower squad, rolling to a third straight victory after a stunning shutout loss to sister team Cignal last Oct. 21 that snapped their 15-game winning streak – a run that delivered them the PVL On Tour and Invitational titles.
With a 5-1 record, the High Speed Hitters are now assured of a quarterfinal slot, but coach Rald Ricafort’s team remains laser-focused on sweeping its last two assignments against Chery Tiggo (Nov. 15) and Petro Gazz (Nov. 20) to lock in a higher seeding.
Savi Davison erupted for 21 points, complementing Anastasiia Bavykina’s game-high 22 markers, but it was PLDT’s towering 15-block performance that ultimately dictated the outcome. The High Speed Hitters outblocked the Highrisers by a 10-point margin, erecting a virtual wall that frustrated Galeries Tower’s hitters all night.
Kim Dy, who finished with 12 points including four kill blocks, and Majoy Baron, who chipped in 10 markers, spearheaded the defensive stand alongside the ever-reliable Kath Arado, whose timely digs and floor coverage kept the team’s transition game flowing.
Davison, who had stressed before the game the importance of starting and finishing strong, admitted her frustration over the team’s lackluster second-set performance but expressed relief that they managed to close out the match when it mattered most.
“We didn’t start as strong as I wanted, and they (Highrisers) caught up with us in the second set,” said Davison. “But you know, bawi lang – and I’m glad we were able to finish the game the way we should.”
Dy’s presence, meanwhile, proved most telling in the third set. From a slim 11-9 lead, the former La Salle standout anchored a decisive 8-3 run, repeatedly denying Galeries Tower’s wing spikers before punctuating the set with a thunderous kill. Her efforts, backed by Bavykina’s relentless hitting, ignited a nine-point third-set blowout that swung the momentum fully in PLDT’s favor.
Even when Galeries tried to rally in the fourth, PLDT’s frontliners refused to budge. The High Speed Hitters turned a 5-6 deficit into a commanding 16-8 cushion, thanks to a flurry of kill blocks from Dy and Baron that left the Highrisers visibly shaken.
Baron then sealed the win with back-to-back quick kills after Galeries had trimmed the gap to 19-22.
Jelena Cvijovic and France Ronquillo led Galeries with 15 points each, while Jean Asis and Ysa Jimenez added 13 and 12, respectively. The Highrisers matched PLDT’s 54 attack points but simply couldn’t crack the High Speed Hitters’ reinforced wall at the net.
“This second round is a high-stakes phase,” added Davison. “We have to study our opponents more, come out strong, and execute in the clutch. Today, I’m just glad we were able to do that.”
The also-ran Highrisers fell to 0-6 in a tie with Nxled.
