PLDT weathered a shaky opening frame before rediscovering its winning rhythm to dispatch ZUS Coffee, 24-26, 25-17, 25-17, 25-14, at the Araneta Coliseum on Thursday, August 28, night. The High Speed Hitters secured a 5-0 sweep of the Premier Volleyball League Invitational preliminaries, setting up their return to the finals.

Fresh off an emotional PVL On Tour championship run, the High Speed Hitters looked uncharacteristically off balance early on. Their trademark aggressiveness at the net was missing, and ZUS Coffee capitalized to steal the opening set despite missing several key starters.

Davison powers comeback as PLDT regains control

The early lapse proved temporary as PLDT regrouped, leaning on its depth, defensive wall, and offensive firepower. Savi Davison led the way with 26 points, 12 excellent digs, and seven receptions, claiming another Best Player of the Game honor. Kim Dy added 13 points, while Dell Palomata and Mika Reyes scored 11 apiece. Rookie Alleiah Malaluan chipped in nine markers.

PLDT outgunned ZUS Coffee, 69-47, in attacks. Palomata’s blocking and Malaluan’s timely kills highlighted the turnaround, while libero Kath Arado even joined the scoring with a clever push to Zone 1. By Set 2, PLDT had erased an early 4-8 deficit with a 16-6 surge behind Davison’s scoring burst.

Despite moments of inconsistency, the High Speed Hitters displayed composure and tactical restraint, likely pacing themselves ahead of Sunday’s finals against either Kobe Shinwa or Chery Tiggo.

Thunderbelles show fight but fall short

ZUS Coffee drew energy from rookie Wielyn Estoque, who fired a career-high 15 points. Dolly Verzosa added 10 and Kate Santiago tallied nine, with most of her production coming in the first set. The Thunderbelles pushed PLDT to respond in the third set, briefly closing the gap at 10-11, but could not sustain the pressure.

The Thunderbelles eventually faded against PLDT’s depth and adjustments, dropping their fourth consecutive defeat in the Invitational. Still, their spirited first-set showing gave the High Speed Hitters a rare early wake-up call.

In Set 4, PLDT built an early cushion and never looked back, closing out the match in one hour and 36 minutes. Though they never fully unleashed their full arsenal, the High Speed Hitters’ balance and depth proved more than enough to keep their unbeaten streak alive.