Ricafort and Bundit Named Coaches of the Year

After years of near misses and setbacks, PLDT head coach Rald Ricafort’s belief in the High Speed Hitters’ system never wavered. His dedication and patience finally paid off in a landmark season for the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).

Guiding PLDT to perfect title wins in the first two conferences of the 2025-2026 season, Ricafort will be honored as Coach of the Year at the 2nd PVL Press Corps Awards Night at Novotel Manila Araneta City on May 30. The High Speed Hitters capped off their inaugural PVL on Tour campaign with their first professional crown and extended an unbeaten streak to 15 games during the Invitationals.

Ricafort secured 11 points — 7.8 from media votes and 3.2 from team votes — surpassing former Cignal mentor Shaq Delos Santos and Creamline’s Sherwin Meneses. Under his leadership, PLDT finished fourth in the Reinforced Conference and claimed their first-ever bronze medal in the All-Filipino Conference.

Meanwhile, Creamline proved why the “pink” remains the benchmark in the PVL, capturing their 11th title in a season that tested their dynasty. The Cool Smashers were named Team of the Year for the second consecutive time, amassing 10.4 points (6.0 media, 4.4 team), edging out PLDT and Cignal.

Coming off an uncharacteristic slump, Creamline faced stiff competition in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference. Despite a challenging road and being pushed to do-or-die games against Cignal, stars like Bernadeth Pons, Jia de Guzman, and Jema Galanza led the team to assert their championship poise, reinforcing their league dominance.

In the Spikers’ Turf, Criss Cross King Crunchers emerged as the new standard-bearers. Ending seasons of heartbreak, they captured their first-ever title last November by defeating Japan’s Kindai University in a thrilling five-set final of the 2025 Invitational Conference. Months later, Criss Cross completed a repeat by winning the 2026 Open Conference over the Savouge Spin Doctors, powered by the leadership of five-time Conference MVP Jude Garcia.

For their achievements, the King Crunchers were unanimously voted Spikers’ Turf Team of the Year by media covering the men’s club league. Head coach Tai Bundit was also named Coach of the Year, credited with building the foundation of Criss Cross’ emerging dynasty after years of finishing second.