WHEN EST Cola stepped onto the court for the 2026 PVL Invitational, it was still very much a team trying to come together.
In fact, the Thai guest club had only been complete for two days.
With several of its key players coming from national team commitments, including Thailand's Volleyball Nations League and SEA V.Cup campaigns, there was little time for EST Cola to settle in before the week-long tournament began.
The opening loss to PLDT in four sets showed exactly that, but the defeat also became the last time the Thais would lose in the Philippines.
Once they found their rhythm, the team that barely had time to prepare began rolling through the field, winning five straight matches and finishing with the PVL Invitational crown.
The improbable run made EST Cola the league's eighth different champion and only the second foreign guest club to win a title, with its leading scorer Papatchaya Phontham emerging as first-ever foreign MVP.
READ: Phontham’s historic MVP lights another path for Thai volleyball
For head coach Wanna Buakaew, a former Thailand national team libero, the ending came as a surprise even to the people inside the team.
“I feel surprised because we only had a short time to prepare the team. We were together for just two days. We only expected to make it into the top three, but today our players surprised us by winning the gold medal," she said in her native language during the post-game interview on the live broadcast.
Valuable experience for young EST Cola
The gold medal, however, was never the only thing Buakaew hoped her team could take home from the Philippines.
EST Cola's roster was composed mostly of young players, and the tournament offered them something just as valuable as a championship: the experience of competing against seasoned opponents in a different environment.
“I feel honored and delighted to be invited to compete this time. Our team consists mostly of young players, so coming here gave them valuable experience, especially mentally, as they got to face experienced older players," she said.
With every match, the Thai side became more synchronized, as the motor that sputtered in its first game eventually roared to life.
And by the end, EST Cola had turned the shortest of preparations into one of the most remarkable championship runs the league has seen.
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