Barely a week after fighting tooth and nail for the On Tour crown, PLDT and Chery Tiggo find themselves thrown back into the fire — only this time, the stakes feel heavier, the turnaround shorter, and the spotlight brighter.
The PVL Invitational Conference kicks off Thursday at the PhilSports Arena, and the High Speed Hitters, fresh from their breakthrough title, are tasked to prove that their triumph was no fluke. At 6:30 p.m., they battle the very same Crossovers who nearly spoiled their celebration just five days ago.
For PLDT, the storyline is clear: establish themselves not just as champions, but as a team capable of sustaining excellence. For Chery Tiggo, the mission is different — to transform heartache into redemption and prove that their near-comeback in the finals was more than just a fleeting spark.
“We’re going back to work with the same hunger,” said Kim Kianna Dy, who capped PLDT’s fairy-tale run with the title-winning point last Sunday. “This is a fresh start for everyone, and we’re focused on showing up stronger.”
The tournament curtain-raiser at 4 p.m. pits Creamline against Cignal, with the Cool Smashers eager to reclaim lost ground after being conspicuously absent from the On Tour finale.
Chery Tiggo, for its part, isn’t shying away from the challenge of being labeled underdogs. After clawing back from two sets down in the recent finals only to falter in the decider, the Crossovers know the thin margin between triumph and regret.
“We see this as a chance to grow by battling strong guest teams and sharpening ourselves,” said veteran middle blocker Aby Maraño. “Our team is still evolving, and this Invitational is where we test how far we can push.”
Adding another layer of intrigue is the shared history between both squads. Many of PLDT’s core players — Dy, Majoy Baron, Mika Reyes, Kim Fajardo, and Alleiah Malaluan — trace their roots back to La Salle, the same collegiate program that produced Chery Tiggo’s Maraño and Ara Galang. On opposite sides now, the bonds remain, but so does the competitive fire.
“We’re genuinely happy for each other’s successes, even if we’re no longer teammates,” Galang admitted. “But once we’re on court, it’s all business.”
The Invitational also welcomes back Japanese guest squads, with defending champions Kurashiki Ablaze and debuting Kobe Shinwa University set to debut this weekend. Kurashiki faces Kobe Shinwa on Saturday in a matchup that should immediately test the newcomers.
To streamline the tight schedule, the league ruled that the semifinal results from the On Tour — PLDT and Chery Tiggo carrying 1-0 records, Creamline and Cignal at 0-1 — will roll over into this tournament. That means every match is even more critical, with little room for error.
For PLDT coach Rald Ricafort, the compressed calendar is just part of the grind. “You celebrate, you rest for a while, then it’s back to work. That’s how it is. Now we recover, regroup, and grind again,” he said.
Validation versus redemption. Continuity versus reset. In a league where momentum can vanish in just a few days, PLDT and Chery Tiggo are about to discover who can handle the quick turnaround — and who’s ready to make the next statement.