MANILA, Philippines – When the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference reached its halfway point, PLDT discovered that they were unduly dependent on Savi Davison to lead the team, with the rest of the roster contributing just a small amount of points. The offensive of the High Speed Hitters has emerged as a vital area for growth over the month-long break before league activity resumes on January 18, 2025. This is particularly true despite the fact that the offense has shown promise early on in the season.

The Philippine League of Football (PLDT) started the season on a strong note, gaining three consecutive victories against Nxled, Galeries, and Capital1—the teams that are presently occupying the bottom three slots in the rankings. Nevertheless, the team’s fortunes changed when they were up against more formidable adversaries, specifically the Petro Gazz Angels and the Chery Tiggo Crossovers. The Philippine League of Telephones (PLDT) finished the year with a record of 3-2 and a fifth-place placement due to consecutive defeats.

Davison stood out as the team’s most outstanding performer in both of the team’s losses. The Angels were defeated by her excellent performance, which included a total of 28 points, 12 catches, and nine digs. These are the kinds of figures that would normally lead to a victory. However, the meager attacking contributions made by her teammates were a significant factor that undercut her efforts. Petro Gazz displayed a more balanced attack with Brooke Van Sickle (21 points), Myla Pablo (19 points), and Jonah Sabete (17 points) all having double-digit performances. Wing spikers Erika Santos and Fiola Ceballos each managed only eight points, while Petro Gazz’s attack was more balanced.

Although Davison was performing as expected in her role as the key scorer for the club, PLDT head coach Rald Ricafort acknowledged that she was doing so. However, he underlined the importance of other players providing more consistent support. It was brought to his attention that the team’s offensive statistics were a clear indication of their difficulties, since no one else was able to contribute the numbers that were necessary for them to compete successfully.

Davison once again delivered with 27 points, while Santos and Ceballos only scored 13 and six points, respectively, in their loss to the Chery Tiggo Crossovers. This was the same problem that was evident in their loss. The Crossovers, on the other hand, demonstrated a balanced offensive, with four individuals scoring in double digits, which highlighted the discrepancy in productivity that existed between the two teams.

Ricafort brought up severe issues with the overall performance of the team, in addition to the fact that there was a lack of support for scoring. The absence of scoring assistance was not the only problem with these concerns. It was brought to his notice that the players have been unable to achieve their highest level of performance due to external circumstances such as pressure, despite the fact that the potential and composition of the roster are sufficient to compete. This was brought to his attention.

The irritation that Ricafort felt stemmed from the fact that the team was unable to fully realize their potential. He made the observation that even though they were capable of competing with their rivals, they were unable to perform well when they were under pressure during crucial moments. Despite the fact that the squad was capable of competing with top-tier opponents, he stressed that their inability to keep up with the speed of the game repeatedly led to defeats in the latter stages of the game.

Ricafort and his coaching staff will work to address these shortcomings as the High Speed Hitters prepare for the second half of the conference. They will concentrate on improving the team’s cohesiveness and making sure that more players take the attacking initiative. The team’s goal is to come out of the break as a more well-rounded and resilient group, one that is able to make the most of their potential and compete at a higher level.