PLDT caps first round with victory over Farm Fresh

Coming off a loss to Chery Tiggo last time, PLDT redeemed itself by blanking Farm Fresh to end its Premier League Volleyball (PVL) Reinforced Conference first round duties on a high note at PhilSports Arena on Thursday, August 8.

The PLDT High Speed Hitters ended their Pool A run with a sweeping victory against the Farm Fresh Foxies, 25-20, 25-23, 25-23.

The High Speed Hitters relied on Russian import Elena Samoilenko who finished with 22 points, supplemented by nine excellent receptions. 

Fiona Ceballos provided backup on offense and defense with 11 markers, 10 digs, and nine receptions, while veteran playmaker Kim Fajardo made 12 excellent sets and contributed on offense with three points. Mika Reyes also added eight points, half of which coming from blocks.

"I am glad that we got to finish the bracket, and I hope this can serve as momentum for our next group stage. The next teams that we will face are not really the bottom teams, Petro Gazz and Choco Mucho are strong teams too. So, I am happy that we were able to secure this win," coach Rald Ricafort said after the game.

The win sends PLDT to Pool C come Round 2, where it will take on Pool B’s bottom three sides in Petro Gazz, Choco Mucho, and ZUS Coffee.

Meanwhile, Trisha Tubu led the Foxies, who dropped to a 2-3 card, with 17 points while Colombian reinforcement Yeny Murillo scored 11, along with eight excellent receptions and six digs.

Farm Fresh will be seeded along with Akari, Cignal, and Capital1, the top three teams of Pool B.