PLDT gets back on track by waylaying Zus Coffee in straight sets

March 2 ------ PLDT quickly put its stumble behind. The High Speed Hitters shrugged off their shock loss to sister team Cignal by dismantling ZUS Coffee, 25-23, 25-23, 25-13, in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference at the Playtime Filoil Centre. The victory pushed PLDT to a 4-1 record at the halfway mark of the preliminaries, reinforcing its bid for a qualifying round berth.

ZUS Coffee, meanwhile, remained in a rut despite the return of head coach Jerry Yee, dropping its third straight match to slip to 1-4. "Hindi [dapat namin isipin] 'yung may kailangan i-prove, pero 'yung pagbabalik lang talaga sa sistema namin, 'yung disiplina at focus lang talaga kailangan," said PLDT head coach Rald Ricafort. PLDT came out firing with a 13-5 start in the opening set, keeping ZUS Coffee at bay with a steady seven to eight-point cushion. But the Thunderbelles clawed their way back behind a resurgent Jovelyn Gonzaga, who sparked an 8-1 run that erased a 20-14 deficit and turned it into a slim 22-21 lead.

The High Speed Hitters responded when it mattered most. Trailing 22-23, Savi Davison delivered back-to-back hits before a Chinnie Arroyo attack error swung the momentum back to PLDT to secure the opener. ZUS Coffee again threatened in the second set, holding slim leads for most of the frame before faltering late.

In a near repeat of the first, Davison took charge down the stretch to complete the comeback and hand PLDT a two-sets-to-none advantage. The High Speed Hitters left no room for suspense in the third, dominating from the outset and stretching the lead to as much as 11 before Jessey de Leon sealed the win with an ace. Davison paced PLDT with 17 points and six digs, while Kianna Dy provided strong support with 16 markers built on 15 attacks and a block. Alleiah Malaluan chipped in seven points and six receptions. It was a tough return for ZUS Coffee under coach Jerry Yee following his health-related absence, with Gonzaga the lone double-digit scorer with 10 points and six digs.

Source: spin.ph