Games tomorrow:

(Ninoy Aquino Stadium)

4 p.m. — Nxled vs Galeries

6:30 p.m. — Akari vs Choco Mucho

PLDT needed some time to heat up and rallied from a set down to claim a semifinals seat at the expense of Farm Fresh, 18-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-22, in the qualifying round of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

A blistering third-set run to steal the frame got the High Speed Hitters’ motor running after barely escaping with an equalizer in the second frame before hanging tough in the fourth for a spot in the round robin Final Four.

“We anticipated that it’s gonna be a very difficult game. Then we used the lessons we learned from the last game on how we should react in pressure situations. We focused on that during training and thankfully it worked,” PLDT head coach Rald Ricafort said as his top-seeded squad recovered from a four-set loss to Nxled to end the preliminary round.

“At the same time, the bench delivered crucial contributions so we’re happy about that.”

Savi Davison led three other PLDT players in double-digit scoring with 22 points built on 17 kills and five kill blocks while adding 11 excellent receptions for an all-around performance.

Kim Kianna Dy’s steady production in the conference following her return from a knee injury continued with a 19-point outing she spiked with six digs while Majoy Baron and Alleiah Malaluan added 11 and 10 markers, respectively, for the High Speed Hitters, who beat the Foxies in five sets in the prelims.

“I guess we had the mindset of really winning today because if it was the other way around, we would have had a harder path to take because we’re in a very competitive pool. Our coaches also reminded us that it won’t be an easy game,” Dy said.

“It all boiled down on who wanted it more and which team adjusted quicker during the game. And that’s what happened.”

Kath Arado anchored PLDT’s floor defense with 27 excellent receptions and 18 digs.

Smelling blood after taking the third set, the High Speed Hitters took control of the fourth and went up 23-17 on a Dy kill.

PLDT, however, faced a late challenge when the Foxies saved three straight match points to close in, 24-22, before Davison ended the one-hour, 59-minute battle with a hammer.

The High Speed Hitters unleashed a momentum-shifting 10-0 blitz to turn a 9-12 deficit in the third set into a comfortable seven-point lead. Dy and Davison punched in three points each in the decisive run with Alleiah Malaluan holding her serve for 10 straight plays.

Mylene Paat halted PLDT’s assault with a kill and a kill block before the High Speed Hitters uncorked a closing 6-1 run with Davison smashing a down the line kill to end the frame.

PLDT’s bad start extended into the nip-and-tuck second set as the club had a hard time shaking off the Foxies until the final stretch of the frame.

Baron broke a 23-23 deadlock with a running attack and got the lucky break when Royse Tubino’s attack hit the net.

Farm Fresh, despite the loss that ended its three-game winning streak, still has a chance to advance in the semis, albeit through a harder route.

The Foxies will battle the winner between Nxled and Galeries Tower on Saturday in the final phase of the Play-in tournament scheduled Tuesday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.Third-set uprising sends PLDT to semis