PLDT, Kobe Shinwa clash for PVL crown

Games today:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

4 p.m. — Chery Tiggo vs Creamline

6:30 p.m. — PLDT vs Kobe Shinwa

PLDT gets a crack at completing a historic championship but youthful Kobe Shinwa University is out to rain on its parade in a titanic one-game clash for all the marbles in the 2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Invitational today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Game time is set at 6:30 p.m., with the concluding tournament match promising nothing short of explosive.

The unbeaten High Speed Hitters are on the cusp of writing their names in the record books with just one more win to go and capture their second straight crown unblemished.

PLDT also swept the eight-game pre-season On Tour for its breakthrough championship. No team has won back-to-back titles without dropping a single game since the league’s establishment in 2017.

Bannered by high-scoring winger Savi Davison, Kim Kianna Dy, Mika Reyes, rookie Alleiah Malaluan, veteran middle blocker Majoy Baron and top setter Kim Fajardo, the High Speed Hitters won all four of their elimination round outings for a 5-0 carryover win-loss slate and an outright return to the final.

PLDT’s vaunted net defense silenced the Japanese guest team in a quick 25-20, 25-22, 25-23, shutout win in their first meeting a week ago.

But the previous win bears no weight as far as High Speed Hitters head coach Rald Ricafort is concerned.

“We can’t be too complacent. Just because we’re coming off a championship, things would be easier. We’re taking this as a new challenge for us,” he said.

PLDT had the luxury of a two-day rest and preparation compared to the Japanese guest team, which only had a little over 24 hours to prime up for the gold medal match.

Kobe Shinwa had to claw its way back from a 0-2 hole and a four-point deficit in the closing stretch of the third set to pull off a reverse sweep stunner over Chery Tiggo, 21-25, 17-25, 26-24, 25-22, 15-6, and secure a final spot on Friday.

It was a shocking victory as the Japanese spoiled a much-anticipated rematch of the On Tour protagonists.

Kobe Shinwa head coach Kiyokazu Yamamoto points out PLDT’s height advantage as his team’s biggest obstacle to becoming the second foreign team to win the title after Kurashiki Ablaze ruled the 2023 edition.

“We saw that PLDT has a really good block. So, we’re thinking about how to handle PLDT’s blocking,” he said.

Setter Sakura Furuta shares the same observation.

“PLDT has strong defense, a fast setter, and quick attacks. Our plan is to break their defense with aggressive serving,” the playmaker said.