PLDT coach Rald Ricafort says the team’s first loss after 15 straight wins serves as a valuable reminder to stay grounded and focused in their 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference campaign.
The PLDT High Speed Hitters’ incredible 15-game winning streak came to an end on Tuesday, October 21, as they fell in straight sets to the Cignal Super Spikers in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference.
After the match, head coach Rald Ricafort admitted that the High Speed Hitters weren’t thinking too much of their win streak.
Still, Ricafort believes the loss may have come at the right time, seeing it as a reminder for his team to stay grounded and focused on their ultimate goal.
“Maganda tingnan pero kung sa team namin, hindi talaga siya magma-matter kasi dagdag pressure lang talaga sa amin,” said Ricafort.
“Blessed lang kami at sinwerte rin kahit papano sa naging winning streak from the previous conferences, pero wala, tapos na talaga ‘yun.”
[ALSO READ: Ricafort says PLDT focused on growth, not three-peat heading to PVL Reinforced Conference]
Emphasizing team balance
The three-time PVL champion coach stressed the importance of consistency and teamwork, emphasizing that wins are never about one or two players, but about collective effort.
In the loss against Cignal, Savi Davison and import Anastasiia Bavykina carried the scoring load with 14 and 10 points, respectively. The rest of the team scored just a total of 16 markers.
“Regardless locals, imports, hindi talaga kakayanin kung hindi lahat nasa tip-top shape,” Ricafort said. “Lalo nga ‘yung pag-emphasize sa kanila na hindi kami dapat kumasa lang sa isa o dalawang tao.”
“‘Yun ‘yung lesson talaga today na hindi naman din ginusto ng mga players pero dadaan na dadaan talaga ‘yung bad games, so kailangan maging lesson talaga sa amin ‘yung nangyari.”
A much-needed wake-up call
After months of dominance, including two straight PVL titles, Ricafort believes this setback will help the High Speed Hitters refocus and rediscover their hunger.
PLDT looks to get back on track after losing to Cignal in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference. | Photo: PVL
Pressure is now seemingly off for the High Speed Hitters after no longer chasing the PVL record set by the Creamline Cool Smashers. PLDT's 15-game run is third all-time in the PVL, with Creamline owning the first two spots with winning streaks of 25 and 19 games.
“‘Yun din ‘yung ni-remind sa kanila kanina na talagang wake-up call sa part namin, hindi lang sa bad game today, pero kung paano kami mag-prepare sa lahat ng games moving forward.”
The High Speed Hitters will look to bounce back in their next assignment when they take on the unbeaten Farm Fresh Foxies at the Ynares Center Montalban, on Saturday, October 25.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.