via Dason Stephan Gilbuena Sailadin, Pressroom PH
Fresh off their recent championship win in the PVL on Tour, the PLDT High Speed Hitters kept their red-hot form from the previous tournament as they crushed the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, 25-16, 25-14, 25-20, during the opening day of the 2025 PVL Invitational Conference on August 21 at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
The High Speed Hitters hardly broke a sweat against last tournament’s runner-up as they banked on an all-around debut performance from Alleiah Malaluan to dominate their foes in straight sets, further cementing their status as one of PVL’s top squads.
Player of the Game Malaluan shut the door on the Crossovers’ revenge party and stole the spotlight with an impressive outing as a rookie, listing 11 points built on 10 attacks and 1 ace, while also tacking on 13 digs and nine receptions.
It was a nip-and-tuck affair for the lead in set three, as both squads exchanged successive hits from their outside spikers, leading to multiple deadlocks, 8-8, 13-13, 16-16, 18-18.
After those standstills, however, Chery Tiggo decided to try and mount a comeback as they scored two straight points thanks to a PLDT attacking error and a Shaiya Adorador ace, 18-20.
But with a quick timeout, the High Speed Hitters did not let any momentum continue for their opponents, regrouping and responding with a Malaluan-led seven-to-nothing run to get the last laugh over the Crossovers.
Earlier, PLDT already had the game in their palms as they battered their counterparts with well-timed blocks from Mika Reyes that kept Chery Tiggo off balance throughout the opener.
Set two featured a similar story of dominance as the High Speed Hitters pulled away midway with a Jessey De Leon scoring blast that ended in a runaway finish, taking a 2-0 advantage.
The momentum from both frames proved to be what all PLDT needed as they sustained their hot hand to set three due to Malaluan’s consistency despite a close call near the endgame.
Meanwhile, earlier that day, Creamline capitalized on a late-game storm from Michelle Gumabao to outlast Cignal in a grueling 22-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-11, 15-8 battle.
Initially, the HD Spikers held on to a comfortable 2-1 set lead and clung onto the driver’s seat, until Gumabao unleashed consecutive spikes in the fourth to extend the Cool Smashers’ chances into a winner-take-all fifth frame.
Creamline then continued their onslaught and raced to a 7-3 edge, as the reigning Invitationals MVP kickstarted an early blitz by sending a series of through-the-block hits in set five.
Cignal tried to stay afloat and kept it close at 8-6, but like lions eager to finish off their prey, Alyssa Valdez and Jema Galanza woke up just in time, scoring a series of kills to extend the lead and finally seal the deal.
Gumabao was named Player of the Game after tallying 22 points off of 18 attacks and 4 blocks, while also adding 14 excellent digs as the Cool Smashers opened their title defense bid on a high note.
PLDT and Creamline now look to sustain their momentum as they swap opponents in their next outings on August 23 at the same venue.
