MANILA, Philippines –  in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, PLDT head coach Rald Ricafort played his previous side, Petro Gazz, in a five-set thriller. The Ricafort team prevailed despite a challenging game, extending their winning streak to three games.

When Petro Gazz defeated his previous team, Ricafort, who had led Petro Gazz to the Reinforced Conference championship in December, was delighted. His main concern, though, was how he could aid PLDT’s reconstruction by applying the knowledge and skills he had picked up during his prior employment with Petro Gazz.

After the game, Ricafort said, “I’m glad that we were able to help the squad in a small manner by leveraging what we learned from Petro Gazz previously.

The High-Speed Hitters only had a day to prepare for the game following their previous game against Chery Tiggo last Tuesday, thus the coach’s past experience with Petro Gazz came in handy during the game. Ricafort acknowledged his appreciation for his team, saying that they were coachable and helped him with the adjustment.

As PLDT defeated Petro Gazz at the Filoil EcoOil Centre, 21 to 25, 31 to 29, 25 to 21, 21 to 25, and 15 to 3, Michelle Morente and Mean Mendrez both scored 21 points to show their value. Having recorded 20 outstanding receptions and 40 brilliant digs, defensive specialist Kath Arado also played a significant impact.

The victory was important for PLDT because they are working with Ricafort to improve their team. By guiding his new club to league victory, the coach seeks to honor his old squad’s accomplishments.

Ricafort expressed his appreciation for the team’s triumph by saying, “we are grateful that we had won.”

With their victory over Petro Gazz, PLDT took a step closer to their objective of Premier Volleyball League success as their rebuilding process continues.