Even with hot start, there’s no cause for PLDT to take foot off the gas

PLDT High Speed Hitters in the PVL Reinforced Conference.–PVL PHOTO

PLDT is on a roll in the PVL Reinforced Conference with three straight wins to open up Pool A play, but coach Rald Ricafort will be the first one not to speak absolutes and let his High Speed Hitters relax.

“We focus on our work, [and] it starts with not giving statements carelessly that we are rising,” Ricafort said in Filipino on Tuesday night after PLDT survived an opening set loss to Nxled before pulling out a 32-30, 25-18, 25-17 decision. “We continue working for every game.”Even without ace Savi Davison, whose return is slated for the next season in October, PLDT also counts victories over the league’s winningest club Creamline and Galeries Tower.

And you can’t blame Ricafort for being too cautious, for the High Speed Hitters had great starts in recent conferences only to sputter and fail to make it out of elimination round play.

“Complacency is not an issue with this team. The bigger issue is being consistent towards the end. So we continue working,” Ricafort said.

Easing the burden

PLDT is not passing all the load to Elena Samoilenko, its Russian import, with smart playmaker Kim Fajardo finding her local teammates as well.

There’s no question that Samoilenko has jelled with the rest of the High Speed Hitters. Proof is that Ricafort’s local mainstays like Majoy Baron, Fiola Ceballos, libero-captain Kath Arado and Erika Santos have been stepping up as well.

“I am personally not making a big deal of filling in the gap,” Santos, after pouring in 19 points against the Chameleons, said in Filipino. “Maybe it’s more that Savi isn’t playing, I need to be more composed to better help the team.

“I guess I woke up on the right side of the bed today and listening to the instructions of the coaches who have given me the chance to be better,” she added. “And I took those opportunities for a good start.”

There is still more than an ample amount of challenge awaiting PLDT in its first round schedule with clashes against Chery Tiggo and Farm Fresh remaining. The Crossovers had their two-game winning streak snapped by the Cool Smashers also on Tuesday.

Looking at the sequence of events—PLDT won against Creamline then the Cool Smashers stopped Chery Tiggo—things should favor the High Speed Hitters. But Ricafort is looking at it in a different way.

“We are somehow lucky to have battled Creamline in our first game, because you know that Creamline is still a top team,” he said. “They (Cool Smashers) are playing so well now, and it’s a good thing they didn’t play that way against us.”

Ricafort acknowledges that they have some sort of momentum. But that’s that.

“We have the momentum in a way, but when the game comes, that’s it, we can’t do anything else but play and work for it,” Ricafort said, referring to their outing against the Crossovers and Khat Bell on Saturday.