Kianna Dy, right, and the PLDT High Speed Hitters celebrate after winning their second straight PVL crown.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — With its second straight PVL championship, PLDT has come a long way from being the league’s heartbreak kids to a fast-rising powerhouse in the league.
Exactly a year ago, PLDT came so close to a finals breakthrough but only to suffer an excruciating loss to Akari in a knockout semifinal game mostly remembered for its controversial finish.
READ: PLDT goes undefeated in winning second straight PVL title
Kianna Dy and Kim Fajardo after winning back to back. #PVLInvitational #PVL2025 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/nUhNE2kcx5
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) August 31, 2025
Fast forward to the present day, the High Speed Hitters were more composed, recovering from a first-set loss to fend off Japan’s Kobe Shinwa University, 21-25, 31-29, 25-22, 25-18, to rule the PVL Invitational on Sunday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Kianna Dy, who missed the semifinal setback at the hands of Akari due to an injury, conspired with Savi Davison in the final to outclass the young but gutsy Japanese side. Dy delivered 17 points, including four blocks, capped by the title-clinching defensive kill.
“The team has been through so much, with [lots of] almosts, and it just feels so good to finally get two championships,” Dy told reporters.
“Being sidelined last year, it was hard for me seeing my teammates. I was very heartbroken because I wasn’t able to do anything outside. But I’m super confident with this team. Everyone’s improving, we’re finally complete.”
Kim Fajardo, who dished out 29 excellent sets and scored four points in the championship game, relished the leap of PLDT, which carried all the lessons from the past to finally reach the top of the PVL.
READ: PVL: Kianna Dy caps her return from injury with elusive title
Emerging dynasty!
PLDT celebrates its second straight title. #PVLInvitational #PVL2025 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/gjimgYyEE0
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) August 31, 2025
“For me, we’ve come a long way. It doesn’t feel like before where things sometimes felt shaky. Now, no matter what happens, there’s this mindset that we won’t give up. That’s how everyone thinks now, and I think that’s one of the biggest improvements we’ve had as a team,” said Fajardo in Filipino.
Fajardo and Dy banked on the team’s connection—strengthened by their past adversities and the core’s familiarity—to deny the Japanese from completing an upset.
“Inside the court, we really just followed the game plan. There were times they had the lead, and the rallies were really long, but we never lost trust in each other. That probably made the biggest difference,” Fajardo said.
“We know that the Japan team is really a good team and it was a really hard-fought match. We just trusted each other and listened to the coaches. We committed to moving and fighting together all the way to the end. We never let ourselves think we couldn’t do it because this was our chance to win, and we weren’t going to let it slip away,” Dy added.
READ: PVL: PLDT rules Invitational for back-to-back titles
Fajardo, who signed with Dy and Majoy Baron to PLDT last year, was fulfilled with their journey after finally winning it all for two straight conferences, sweeping all 13 games from their maiden title run in the PVL on Tour to asserting their dominance in the Invitational.
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“I’m super grateful, super thankful and honestly, everything we went through, all the hard work, heartbreaks, and pain, it was all worth it,” the setter said.
Dy believes PLDT still has a lot to prove as it eyes another crown in the Reinforced Conference this October.
“We’re not stopping. The next conference will be a whole new challenge, especially with imports coming in. So we’ll go back to work and prepare all over again,” she said.
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