Strong connection

Games today:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

1:30 p.m. — Chery Tiggo vs Akari

4 p.m. — ZUS Coffee 

vs Galeries Tower

6:30 p.m. -— Creamline 

vs Petro Gazz

Riding the momentum of a flawless offseason that yielded two championships, PLDT showed no signs of slowing down as it opened its 2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL)Reinforced Conference campaign in dominant fashion.

Extending their winning streak to 14 games, the High Speed Hitters swept Capital1 in straight sets, 25-22, 25-20, 25-23, on Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, spoiling the official PVL debut of top overall pick Bella Belen.

The reigning PVL On Tour and Invitational Conference champions looked even more dangerous this time around, with their championship core boosted by 6-foot-2 Russian outside hitter Anastasiia Bavykina. 

The hard-hitting import turned heads in her debut performance, tallying 15 points built on 10 attacks, three kill blocks, and two aces, on top of 10 excellent receptions.

“For us, it’s good to get an early victory,” PLDT head coach Rald Ricafort said.

“We tapped Anastasiia for a major supporting role because she’s aligned with the team. She can provide everything that we lack. Hopefully, with this kind of chemistry, we’ll gel in no time.”

With Bavykina reinforcing PLDT’s already imposing frontline, the High Speed Hitters’ signature wall at the net stood tall once more — this time, even sturdier — as they racked up 16 kill blocks to smother the Solar Spikers’ offense.

Invitational Most Valuable Player Savannah Davison led the block party with seven rejections to go along with 15 attacks, finishing with 22 points and nine excellent receptions in the one-hour, 36-minute duel.

Veteran setter Kim Fajardo steered the offense with 17 excellent sets, while Kianna Dy also finished in double figures with 10 points built on six attacks and four blocks.

The High Speed Hitters had to fend off a gritty Capital1 stand in the third set. Davison delivered a clutch hit, and Dy came up with a crucial rejection on Solar Spikers import Oleksandra Bytsenko to turn a 20-21 deficit into a 23-21 advantage.

Bytsenko momentarily stopped the bleeding with a sharp cross-court spike, but Iris Tolenada’s service error handed PLDT match point, 24-22. The Ukrainian spiker tried to keep Capital1 alive once more, breaking through two blockers, but Davison sealed the deal with a cross-court hit that deflected off Bytsenko’s hands to end the match.

“We were surprised with their import but we anticipate it because we anticipate that, like other teams, she will carry the offense. But even with import, Bella and Leila (Cruz) made significant contributions,” Ricafort said.

The High Speed Hitters will look to extend their winning streak to 15 games when they face Choco Mucho on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., still at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Meanwhile, Capital1, which had its supposed opening match against Choco Mucho last 7 October canceled, couldn’t change its fortunes this time as the young Solar Spikers once again fell short against a seasoned and cohesive opponent — the surging PLDT squad.

To make matters worse, team captain and starting libero Roma Mae Doromal had to be stretchered off the court due to muscle cramps after diving for a ball with PLDT holding a slim 14-12 lead in the third set.