High Speed Hitters Deliver Strong Finish to Capture Bronze

PLDT secured the bronze medal in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference, finishing strong in the fifth set to defeat Farm Fresh 25-14, 21-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-5 on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

This victory marked the High Speed Hitters' first-ever bronze medal in the PVL, after falling just short of a podium finish in the previous Reinforced Conference where they finished fourth. The win adds to their impressive medal collection, which includes two golds from the 2025 PVL On Tour preseason and the 2025 Invitational Conference.

"Though we didn't achieve our ultimate goal of reaching the finals, I'm proud of how the players fought. We're thankful and proud of this milestone, as getting the third place is still an accomplishment," said PLDT head coach Rald Ricafort.

After splitting the first four sets in a closely contested match, PLDT took control in the deciding set, finishing with a dominant 11-2 run. Savi Davison, Kianna Dy, Majoy Baron, and Kiesha Bedonia led the charge, clinching the win in just over two hours.

“We’ve worked really hard for this match, and this being our fifth game against Farm Fresh, we came fully prepared. In the fifth set, it came down to who wanted it more, so we decided to take the momentum away from them,” said Dy, who led PLDT with 21 points, including 14 kills, six blocks, and an ace.

Davison contributed 20 points and 10 digs, while PLDT showed remarkable balance with five players reaching double digits for the second consecutive game. Kim Fajardo set up the offense with 32 excellent sets.

Bedonia, who was subbed in midway through the second set, added 15 points, while Baron and Mika Reyes chipped in with 10 points each.

Defensively, team captain Kath Arado was a standout, logging 28 excellent digs and 21 excellent receptions, in addition to a point.

PLDT set the tone in the series with a hard-fought 5-set win in Game 1 (22-25, 25-21, 27-25, 26-28, 15-11), before completing the sweep in Game 2.

For Farm Fresh, Trisha Tubu led with 23 points, while Ces Molina added 12 points and 11 excellent receptions. Riri Meneses, Royse Tubino, and Mylene Paat each contributed nine points.

Despite missing out on a podium finish, Farm Fresh enjoyed a historic run, securing their best-ever franchise finish in fourth place.