PLDT is now just two wins away from completing a rare PVL triple crown, but as they enter the semifinals of the 2025 Reinforced Conference, Savi Davison knows this is where everything resets and the noise gets louder as some people say the real competition finally begins.
The High Speed Hitters cruised through the Invitational and the On Tour tournaments earlier this year, stacking two straight titles that some corners of the volleyball community labeled as ‘meaningless’ with no imports, no Alas Pilipinas stars and a lighter field.
Davison hears all of it, but she won't waste energy arguing back.
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“You know, it’s not really thinking about the title,” she told the SPIN.ph.
“It’s more taking it game by game. When you look too far, you kind of lose track of what’s happening in the now.”
The ‘now’ for PLDT is a semifinal clash against a raging Zus Coffee - a team riding the dominant play of their explosive import, Anna Debeer.
And for the 5-foot-8 Canadian, the matchup comes with a familiar twist.
Their paths never crossed on the court, but Davison had front-row seats to Debeer’s early rise. During Davison’s senior year at New Mexico State University, a freshman DeBeer was already turning heads at the University of Louisville.
“I didn’t play her in college, she’s a lot younger than I am,” the outside hitter said.
“But her freshman year, she was incredible. I kind of followed her throughout her career at Louisville. A lot of my girlfriends back home played against her.”
That admiration never faded. When the two met briefly in Candon City, Ilocos Sur earlier this conference, Davison didn’t hide it.
“I just told her I’m a big fan,” she said with a laugh.
“She had a really good career in the States. So it’s nice seeing familiar faces here.”
Now the fan has to game-plan against the phenom.
Davison isn’t under any illusion about how hard it will be to contain Debeer.
“She’s really good offensively. She’s smart. She can hit over the block. She jumps really high.”
“The biggest thing is how can we target the rest of the team. Not limit Anna entirely, but slow her down.”
For PLDT, the focus is less about stopping Debeer and more about disrupting Zus Coffee’s system.
WHY REINFORCED STINT IS DIFFERENT
Critics have framed PLDT’s first two titles as “preseason success.” Davison doesn’t deny it, as she understands the differences from those conferences to now.
“I think we just worked really hard in the summer. The Alas Pilipinas girls weren’t there. We didn’t have imports. We were just the strongest team at the moment,” she said.
“Every conference brings a new challenge.”
This Reinforced Conference? The toughest of them all.
With the national team players back, rosters stacked, and imports redefining matchups, Davison knows PLDT must be sharper than ever.
Luckily for them, they're also peaking at the right moment.
“Kiana’s [Dy] finally found her groove,” she said, noting how Dy has regained her confidence and defensive presence after injury. “Mika’s [Reyes] back in the rotation. Del’s [Palomata] back. Our confidence going into the semis and finals, we’re able to regroup with more power and more mental confidence.”
That boost is everything. It’s what gives PLDT belief that a three-peat is not just a storyline, but a legitimate possibility.
“Every team is more competitive now. I think it’s the team that shows up best in every conference. Hopefully, we’re as consistent as we were last conference to be able to pull off a third win,” the PVL MVP stressed.
Next up is Zus Coffee - a team she respects, an import she once admired from afar, and a semifinal stage that finally feels worthy of a contender’s crown.
Davison isn’t looking too far ahead. But if PLDT keeps winning the moments right in front of them, that historic third straight title might finally be one no one can question.
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