Although the PLDT High Speed Hitters fell out of semis contention in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference, Savi Davison remains optimistic about the future of the team.
PLDT ace Savi Davison is convinced that the potential of the High Speed Hitters knows no bounds, despite falling short of a playoff berth in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
This optimism came right after the High Speed Hitters stunned the semis-bound defending champions, Creamline Cool Smashers, with a hard-fought victory, 22-25, 25-14, 25-22, 27-25, to end their campaign on a resounding note on Thursday night.
The win marked the first time PLDT prevailed over Creamline in eight head-to-head matches since the former joined the league in 2021.
[RELATED: PVL: Savi Davison pours 27 as PLDT defeats Creamline for the first time to end campaign on a high]
Davison and the crew, which finished in fifth place for the third straight time with an 8-3 record, also defeated another title favorite in the Choco Mucho Flying Titans last March 19, offering yet another silver lining in what was otherwise an unsuccessful campaign.
“We just had to give it our all since there’s nothing that we could lose. Thinking about it now, we beat the top two teams in the conference,” said Davison, who poured 27 points and 15 receptions in the four-set triumph.
“It kind of shows a lot that when we show up, when we put our best out there, sky’s the limit.”
PLDT bid farewell to its semifinal aspirations when Chery Tiggo defeated Galeries Tower in the opening bout of the penultimate day of the preliminaries. It was a heartbreaking result for a team that came only a few points away from making it through the next round.
The High Speed Hitters were once in a prime position to secure a Final Four spot, holding a top-two standing for most of the season-opening conference. However, crucial losses to the Crossovers and the Cignal HD Spikers cost them dearly, causing their hopes to unravel in the final stretch of the elimination phase.
During such a rough patch, PLDT’s lack of firepower seemingly hounded the team, so much so that Davison called on her teammates to step up.
Even so, the Filipina-Canadian stalwart made it clear that there is no “missing piece” on the team. She stressed that they have the right cogs, but need to synchronize their efforts while awaiting the recovery of Kianna Dy, Mika Reyes, and Jovie Prado.
“I think we have all the pieces. It’s just that we have to put them together, just figuring out the puzzle. It’s knowing what kind of role people have to play and how we put that together, how we play beside each other,” Davison said.
“I don’t think that, at the end of the day, we could say we don’t have something. We have it all. Like I've said, I’m excited especially with the new additions coming, hopefully they come back and stuff and really quickly. There’s nothing I feel like we’re missing at all.”
PLDT also has no shortage of devoted fans who continue to expand over the years. Davison thanked the supporters that trooped to the PhilSports Arena to cheer on them versus Creamline.
“I think I notice more and more fans that come out every game for us, and I think that’s the best part of it. When I got here last year, we had a fanbase but it was not near as much as it is tonight. Like hearing our name against Creamline, like ‘let’s go PLDT,’ I was like ‘woah, we have a lot of people here’,” Davison said.
“I’m so happy that people are watching us and understanding the work that we put in. I think that means a lot to not only us but just volleyball as a whole. We appreciate it every time we go into the gym, we appreciate it every time we show up and leave the court. I just love to see that growth. Coming out of it as a statement, I think the fans are itself the statement.”
At the end of the day, Davison is optimistic about PLDT’s potential to rise above its recent struggles and find success in the foreseeable future.
“I think it just shows our hard work throughout the conference. No matter the ups and downs, we were always able to show up better the next day. So I’m really proud of the group that we have this conference and I can’t wait to see what we do next conference,” Davison said.