EST Cola Shocks PVL, Claims Second-Ever Guest Team Crown

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EST Cola pulled off a historic upset Tuesday night, September 8, claiming the 2026 PVL Invitational Conference championship. The Thai guest team beat the Nxled Chameleons in the gold medal match at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The win made EST Cola just the second guest team to ever capture the tournament title. Only Kurashiki Ablaze had done it before, winning the crown back in 2023.

Papatchaya Phontham became the first player from a guest team to earn the PVL Invitational MVP award. [PVL Images]

Leading the charge was 20-year-old Papatchaya Phontham. She made history of her own, becoming the league’s first-ever MVP from a guest team.

Phontham Headlines a Star-Studded Awards Night

Phontham finished the preliminary round second in scoring with 97 points. She also converted at a sharp 35.74 percent efficiency, the third-best mark in the league.

Her strong all-around game also earned her the Best Opposite Spiker award. She ranked fourth in service with an average of 0.37 aces per set.

The Best Outside Spikers went to Savi Davison of PLDT and Jonah Sabete-Escamillan of Nxled. Davison led all scorers after the preliminary round with 135 points.

Davison also ranked second in spiking efficiency at 37.97 percent. She rounded out her résumé with strong defensive numbers, including 3.00 digs per set.

Escamillan, meanwhile, tallied 84 points for fifth in the league. She posted the third-best reception efficiency at 47.62 percent, capping a breakout campaign.

Minowa, Cayuna, Arado Add to Their Growing Trophy Cases

Creamline’s Jaja Santiago-Minowa and Nxled’s MJ Phillips shared the Best Middle Blocker award. Minowa led the league with 18 blocks while also scoring 92 points, good for third overall.

Phillips wasn’t far behind, tallying 79 points and 14 blocks. The recognition marked her third career All-Premier Team appearance.

Nxled’s Gel Cayuna took home her sixth Best Setter award, ranking third in the league at 5.50 assists per set. She also chipped in offensively, finishing 30th in scoring with 27 points.

PLDT’s Kath Arado capped the awards list with her seventh Best Libero selection. She dominated the digging category with a league-best 5.70 average per set, well clear of the second-ranked player’s 3.43.