SECOND time won’t be the charm for Fil-Canadian hotshot Savi Davison in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) as PLDT fell one spot and one win shy of a semifinals appearance. Again.
However, one thing that kept Davison in high spirits despite missing out on postseason play for the second conference running is the growth she witnessed firsthand — not only with the High Speed Hitters but with the support they’ve been receiving from volleyball fans.
The league’s second-leading scorer, with 207 total points in 11 prelims matches, stressed how the sport itself is on the rise as reflected in recent attendance numbers in the ongoing 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference alone — one which saw a 17.396-strong crowd on a Thursday night when sister teams Creamline and Choco Mucho duked it out at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
READ: PLDT goes out in style, beats Creamline for the first time
“I think I notice more and more fans that come out every game for us, and I think that’s the best part of it. When I got here last year, we had a fanbase but it was not near as much as it is tonight. Like hearing our name against Creamline, like, ‘Let’s go PLDT,’ I was like, ‘Woah, we have a lot of people here,’” Davison shared.
“I’m so happy that people are watching us and understanding the work that we put in. I think that means a lot to not only us but just volleyball as a whole. We appreciate it every time we go into the gym, we appreciate it every time we show up and leave the court. I just love to see that growth.
“Coming out of it as a statement, I think the fans are itself the statement.”
Moreover, when it comes to personal growth, calmness and holding fort in the face of pressure made Davison a much-better player ahead of what will be her third conference with PLDT in a few months’ time.
“I’ve learned more about myself in terms of just being more calm and confident and being there for the girls. I think as a team, we’ve learned a lot. Patience is key, working hard, sacrifices that pay off every day in practice, the long days and early mornings, I think knowing that entering the next conference, we’re gonna put a lot out there and I’m really excited,” said Davison.
Raring for a high-speed rise
Performance-wise, Davison took pride in the fact that all signs point to a much-improved PLDT side in conferences to come as expected player debuts and returnees will soon ‘complete the puzzle’ for an already-sharp squad.
Even after a bittersweet end to her sophomore conference in the Philippines, the Fil-Canadian ace is a firm believer that from a competitive standpoint, the High Speed Hitters ‘have it all’ as they already are and can even be better from here on out.
“I don’t think there’s a missing piece. I think we have all the pieces. It’s just that we have to put them together, just figuring out the puzzle. It’s knowing what kind of role people have to play and how we put that together, how we play beside each other,” said Davison.
“I don’t think that, at the end of the day, we could say we don’t have something. We have it all. Like I’m said, I’m excited especially with the new additions coming, hopefully they come back and stuff and really quickly. There’s nothing I feel like we’re missing at all,” she added.
And as if there aren’t enough signs to consider, Davison underlines how taking down powerhouse sides Creamline and Choco Mucho in the preliminaries is no better proof of what they can still bring to the table moving forward.
“Thinking about it now, we beat the top two teams in the conference. It kind of shows a lot that when we show up, when we put our best out there, sky’s the limit.
“So knowing that and going into next season, using that and putting it forward, it’s gonna be really helpful in terms of adding that motivation and adding that determination knowing that we were capable of what we did tonight,” said Davison.
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