For the PLDT High Speed Hitters, winning the PVL Invitational crown on August 31 meant a year's worth of pain was finally relieved.
There was a lot of emotional baggage riding on the PLDT High Speed Hitters’ championship last August 31, even as they successfully conquered Kobe Shinwa University in the PVL Invitational Finals to make it back-to-back titles.
That is, Sunday’s championship match was exactly a year removed from PLDT's controversial semifinals loss to the Akari Chargers in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference, where a contested challenge marred what was an otherwise incredible game.
As technicality robbed what would have been their first Finals appearance, the loss weighed heavy for the High Speed Hitters for the better part of a year, including Kianna Dy.
[RELATED: Kim Fajardo, Kim Kianna Dy happy to see PLDT finally get over the hump with two PVL crowns]
While Dy was sidelined last year due to injury, it was a difficult position to be in to see her teammates struggle and end up heartbroken at the hands of the Chargers in that tournament.
Having nursed herself back to health, Kianna was able to not only contribute to her team, but she regained her role as a key cog in a PLDT team that is now consecutive PVL champions.
After the match, Dy spoke about how she felt about winning a championship on the one-year anniversary of when it all transpired.
“For me, being sidelined last year, I think it was the crucial game [and] it was hard for me seeing my teammates na very heartbroken and wala akong magawa because I was outside [of the court],” Dy said.
“But yeah, like what ate Kim [Fajardo] said, I’m super confident with this team. Everyone improved, everyone’s improving, we’re complete, we’re finally complete and yeah, tuluy-tuloy lang,” she added.
After a lengthy break from the sport due to her injury, Dy made her return to the taraflex in January of this year, with her absence spanning a whopping 559 days.
Now as she became a two-time PVL champion, Dy said that she is determined to work even harder, especially as a new conference will roll around in a few weeks time with the PVL Reinforced Conference happening in October.
Expecting to face tougher competition with guest players flanking the teams, Dy and the rest of PLDT are raring to make it a trifecta of titles.
“Next conference, is a different conference… May imports na so, we have to work hard again for that,” she said.