Davison’s prolific efforts fail to help PLDT avoid losing streak

PLDT’s Savi Davison during a game against Petro Gazz in the PVL All-Filipino Conference.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Even with the PVL All-Filipino Conference’s deadliest gun, PLDT will go into the long break for the holidays with a losing feeling.

Savi Davison is averaging just a shade under 24 points a game, and yet, the High Speed Hitters have lost their last two, a slide that came after a 3-0 start, as PLDT will now spend Christmas pretty much thinking of what went wrong.

The rest of the High Speed Hitters have failed to give Davison support as she was the only player to finish in twin digits for PLDT in a 12-25, 25-14, 25-22, 25-20 loss to Petro Gazz, which showed in that game what team effort was all about on Tuesday at PhilSports Arena.

Davison finished with 28 points, but the next best scorers for PLDT were Erika Santos and Fiona Ceballos with just eight each.

Support Van Sickle had

In contrast, Brooke Van Sickle fired 21 points and got the necessary back-up she needed as Myla Pablo drilled in 19 points and Jonah Sabete, despite playing a position she was given only in the second frame, finished with 17.

Sabete transitioned seamlessly to the middle blocker position with Aiza Maiso-Pontillas injured, and that proved to be the key for the Angels, who will go into the long break with smiles on their faces.

The league resumes on Jan. 18.

Davison has refused to put the blame on anyone on the team, although coach Rald Ricafort has been very vocal in expressing the need to back up their prolific spiker.

“We are not getting the numbers we expect [from the other players],” Ricafort said in Filipino. “Compared to Petro Gazz, there’s a big difference [in backup output].”

But if players look at it differently, this is the chance for a lot of them to shine and become an integral part of Ricafort’s rotation, with players like Ceballos and Santos being relied upon at the moment.