EST Cola made history Sunday, and it did it the hard way. The young Thai squad became the first team to punch its ticket to the PVL Invitational Finals.

The Thais needed every bit of composure they had to get there. EST Cola edged Ho Chi Minh City, 25-19, 26-24, 26-24, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in a match that tested nerves until the final point.

The win completed a stunning four-match winning streak. It also secured EST Cola’s spot as the tournament’s first confirmed Finals participant.

Thais Survive Late Vietnamese Push

Ho Chi Minh City refused to go quietly despite the sweep. The Vietnamese squad clawed back from big deficits in both the second and third sets, turning what looked like a routine finish into a nail-biter.

Set 2 saw three separate deadlocks, the last coming at 24-all on a sharp crosscourt hit from Thi Kim Thanh Dang. EST Cola answered immediately, with Nirarach Srikuta blocking Dang’s follow-up attempt to seal the set and push the Thais ahead 2-0.

Set 3 followed a similar script. Ho Chi Minh City rallied from a 19-22 deficit to force another extension, getting a quick-attack point from Thi Nhung Dao and an error from Papatchaya Phontham to stay alive.

The Thais closed it out anyway. Nattharika Wasan’s quick hit and a Srikuta power blast delivered the final two points, capping a performance built on poise under pressure.

Phontham led all scorers with 21 points, 19 of them off attacks. Nannaphat Moonjakham and Srikuta backed her up with 18 and 12 points, respectively, giving EST Cola three players in double figures.

Dang paced Ho Chi Minh City with 14 points, while Thi Nhu Phuong Nguyen added nine. The Vietnamese lacked enough scoring depth beyond their top two, as Thi Bich Diep Dao managed just seven points after a 13-point outing against Nxled on Friday.

A Remarkable Run for a Young Squad

EST Cola’s path to the Finals wasn’t a straight line. The Thais opened the tournament with a four-set loss to defending champion PLDT, a result that seemed to push them to the fringes of title contention.

They responded by bouncing back with a straight-set win over Farm Fresh. Even that victory did little to shift the conversation, which at the time centered on a possible Creamline-PLDT showdown.

The real turning point came against Nxled. EST Cola survived a grueling five-set battle against the Chameleons, showing the composure and attacking flair that would define its run.

What makes the achievement more remarkable is the roster behind it. EST Cola’s core is built largely from Thailand’s Under-21 squad, a group of young players who took down three of the league’s most established teams.

EST Cola’s 4-1 record now gives the Thais the luxury of waiting. They’ll watch Creamline, PLDT, and Nxled battle for the tournament’s second Finals spot, with a possible rematch against Creamline looming as the most intriguing outcome.