The PLDT semifinal push picked up real steam Thursday night at the PhilSports Arena. The High Speed Hitters outlasted Creamline, 25-19, 25-27, 25-23, 25-23, in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Pulse Series. Two of those sets ended 25-23. That's the kind of night it was.
It was PLDT's third straight win after opening the conference with two painful losses in a row. For Creamline, it was a first defeat after a 4-0 start — and it left Nxled as the lone unbeaten team in the field at 4-0.
Analysis: PLDT semifinal push built on a lopsided Creamline rivalry
Here's the number that should bug Creamline fans: this was PLDT's eighth win in the last nine meetings between the two teams. The Manny V. Pangilinan-owned franchise has had the Cool Smashers' number in recent years, and the report framed PLDT as a team that has evolved into Creamline's pesky nemesis.
Credit where it's due, though. Creamline didn't roll over. The Cool Smashers took the second set 27-25 and pushed the third and fourth to the edge. PLDT just found the points when it mattered.
Savi Davison does the heavy lifting
Davison carried the load with 22 points, 20 of them on kills, and still found time to work on defense with 19 excellent receptions and nine digs. That's a full shift, folks. She said the mindset was straightforward.
"I think you know we have to be aware that they're a very strong team and we know it's always going to be a tough match," Davison said.
"But we've been working harder in the gym and everyone is contributing and working out really well," she added.
What to watch at PhilSports Arena on Saturday
Nxled (4-0) meets Capital1 (2-3) at 1 p.m., with Choco Mucho (3-2) taking on Akari (2-3) at 6 p.m. The 3:30 p.m. slot belongs to Spikers' Turf, where NU-Archipelago Builders face AFP.
The original report comes from philstar.com.
