PLDT clinches first qualifying round berth after Creamline loss

March 13 ------ PLDT became the first team to clinch a spot in the qualifying round of the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference following Creamline’s four-set loss to Akari at the Playtime Filoil Centre. The result ensured the High Speed Hitters, who currently hold a 6-1 record, cannot fall out of the top four even with two games left in the preliminary round.

PLDT sits alone atop the standings and has been one of the most consistent teams of the conference so far. The permutations became clear after Creamline dropped to 5-2 following the defeat. With each team playing a nine-game preliminaries schedule, only the Cool Smashers and second-running Cignal can still reach a maximum of seven wins.

Akari, which improved to 4-3 with the victory, can only reach six wins at best, while the rest of the field is mathematically capped at five. That scenario guarantees PLDT a place in the top four regardless of how its remaining matches play out. Even if the High Speed Hitters lose their final two games and finish at 6-3, no more than three teams can equal or surpass that mark in the standings.

The milestone places PLDT in the four-team qualifying round, where the teams ranked first to fourth will battle for the right to claim an outright semifinals berth. For the High Speed Hitters, the focus now shifts to securing the highest possible seed heading into the next phase as the preliminaries enter its final stretch.

Source: spin.ph