Savi Davison has stood at the helm of PLDT’s charge in the PVL All-Filipino COnference. —PVL IMAGES
The worst is yet to come for PLDT, whose coach thinks the team’s current standing is a “scam” and that the team’s true worth in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) will be revealed during “hell week.”
“Our 7-1 [win-loss record] is sort of a scam because we haven’t fought the top teams,” High Speed Hitters coach Rald Ricafort said in Filipino after his team continued its roll in the ongoing All-Filipino Conference.“Our last three assignments will be difficult.”
PLDT was stunned by Petro Gazz in straight-sets before it carved out a five-set marathon win over Choco Mucho, currently one of the hottest teams here. The rest of its clashes have been relatively easier.
What lies ahead for the High Speed Hitters, though, are a string of tough and very crucial matchups against Chery Tiggo, which it battles on Tuesday, 6 p.m., at PhilSports Arena after the Angels’ head-on collision with Cignal at 4 p.m.
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The Crossovers, currently at fifth spot, are looking to bolster their semifinal bid as it is tied with league No. 4 Petro Gazz at 6-2. The HD Spikers, meanwhile, will try to breathe life into their semifinal hopes after a stunning sweep at the hands of Chery Tiggo put them in a bind with a 5-3 record at No. 6.
“Our last three games are the most crucial. Although it is cliche, we will really take it one game at a time,” Ricafort added. “We won’t talk about anything else because it will be a nonstop schedule
Hard plummet
After Chery Tiggo, PLDT next battles Cignal on Saturday in Sta. Rosa, Laguna province, before wrapping up its preliminaries schedule opposite defending champion Creamline (7-2), which is at No. 2 behind league leader and sister team Choco Mucho (8-1).
In the last All-Filipino Conference, PLDT also started its campaign strong, winning five of its first six games, before losing three consecutive games that dropped the High Speed Hitters to the middle of the pack—a plummet so hard that a couple of wins in the tail end of its campaign were not able to cushion the fall.
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And that would be a mistake that the High Speed Hitters would not want to repeat as Ricafort rested his starting six in PLDT’s victory versus eliminated Strong group recently.
“No. 1 thing that has helped us this conference is the core. I gave Savi (Davison) my trust and the chance to adjust here in the PVL and now I can somehow see that she’s adjusted,” Ricafort said.
“Our recruits have made a big difference like Kim (Fajardo), Majoy (Baron) and the two young ones (Kiesha Bedonia and Shiela Kiseo) who have somehow leveled up the competition in our training,” he said.
“Adjustments are not instantaneous, so I hope that through that process we have already improved.”