PLDT deals Creamline another blow, claims bronze

PLDT did not just spoil Creamline’s bid to return to the PVL Invitational Finals – it added another painful chapter to the two-time champions’ disappointing finish.

The High Speed Hitters repulsed the Cool Smashers for the second time in three days, rallying from a fourth-set deficit to pound out a 25-20, 20-25, 25-21, 25-22 victory and the bronze medal Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“Hindi ko alam,” said Kim Fajardo when asked how PLDT managed to do the unthinkable – beat Creamline in consecutive games and finish the tournament on the podium.

Gathering her thoughts, the veteran playmaker pointed instead to the team’s resolve to finish the Invitational on a high note despite the fatigue that had accumulated throughout the tournament.

“Pero ano lang siguro… despite lahat ng pagod namin, talagang kailangan namin itawid nang maayos ’tong tournament na ’to. Kailangan namin tapusin nang maayos,” said Fajardo, who was later named Best Player of the Game.

And on a night when PLDT needed everyone to deliver, Fajardo made sure its biggest weapons had enough chances to do damage.

She tallied 15 excellent sets – four fewer than Creamline counterpart Kyle Negrito – but her distribution proved enough to fuel another emotional victory for the High Speed Hitters.

Savi Davison once again led the attack, erupting for 29 points after exploding for a career-high 37 in Sunday’s five-set encounter against Creamline. Jovie Prado capped her impressive Invitational campaign with 12 points, many of them coming when PLDT needed them most.

Kim Dy added 10 points as another scoring threat opposite Davison, while Mika Reyes and Majoy Baron chipped in eight and five, respectively. The rest of the High Speed Hitters provided the gritty floor defense that repeatedly kept rallies alive and PLDT on track.

Davison also recorded another triple-double, adding 15 digs and 13 receptions to her 29-point scoring haul to underscore her superb all-around performance.

For Fajardo, however, the biggest difference was not any individual performance but the team’s refusal to let go when things went against them.

“Kung paano kumapit ’yung team namin siguro. Kahit na may mga times, may days na hindi talaga pabor sa amin ’yung panalo, pero hindi namin binitawan,” she said. “As in kinapitan lang talaga namin, at nagtiwala kami sa isa’t isa na kaya namin bumangon ulit.”

PLDT certainly had plenty to overcome.

Despite outlasting the Cool Smashers on Sunday, the High Speed Hitters still fell short of a Finals berth due to inferior tiebreak score. Creamline, meanwhile, also stumbled after opening the tournament with three straight victories, losing to EST Cola before falling to PLDT in a dramatic five-setter that denied it a place in the championship round.

The rematch Tuesday appeared headed for a different ending.

Creamline leveled the match by taking the second set and seized control in the fourth after PLDT won the third. A Jema Galanza hit gave the Cool Smashers an 18-14 advantage, putting them within striking distance of forcing a deciding set.

But PLDT refused to fold.

The High Speed Hitters won four of the next five points to cut the deficit to 18-19, then tied the set on an ace before Jessey de Leon’s crosscourt hit put PLDT in front.

Creamline answered when Michele Gumabao scored off the block to make it 21-all, but Prado calmly ended a long, tense rally with a well-placed attack before Davison followed with another winner to give PLDT a 23-21 cushion.

A Prado service error briefly halted PLDT’s momentum, but the High Speed Hitters quickly recovered and moved to match point after a well-executed play anchored by Davison.

Then came the final rally – and the final dagger.

After another successful dig off a Creamline attack, PLDT scrambled to keep the ball alive before producing one last winning play. Davison, despite the attention of Jaja Minowa and Gumabao, managed an off-balance push that landed just beyond the sideline.

Creamline challenged the call, hoping the ball had clipped the line.

The replay showed otherwise.

The ball had landed clearly out, validating the call and sealing PLDT’s two-hour and one-minute victory as the High Speed Hitters erupted in celebration.

Creamline, meanwhile, was left to settle for fourth.

Minowa led the Cool Smashers with 19 points, while Galanza added 16. Tots Carlos and Ishie Lalongisip contributed 11 and 10, respectively.

For a team accustomed to ruling the late stages of tournaments, it was an uncharacteristically abrupt ending for Creamline.

For PLDT, it was something sweeter: a second straight victory over its fierce rival, a bronze medal – and proof that even after the Finals door had closed, the High Speed Hitters still had one last statement to make.

They may have missed defending their crown, but the High Speed Hitters made sure the Cool Smashers would remember who stood in their way.