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Savi Davison shines in PLDT’s 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference opener against a full-strength Creamline team.
If Savi Davison recalls correctly, the closest that she saw the Creamline Cool Smashers at full strength was during her first year in the Premier Volleyball League.
Davison joined the PLDT High Speed Hitters during the Second All-Filipino Conference in 2023, which Creamline ruled after stumbling in the previous Invitational Conference. Since then, key absences have affected the league darlings, due to national team duties, and health concerns.
Today, the Cool Smashers are back to full strength, led by the return of setter Jia de Guzman and SEA Games gold medalist Bernadeth Pons from national team duties. Even Jema Galanza, who sat out the 2025 Reinforced Conference due to a lower leg injury, is now back in the fold.
Though Creamline is coming off a tough year, Davison admits seeing them at full strength at the Playtime Filoil Centre was an “intimidating” sight to witness.
“Them coming out, the full lineup together, I don’t think I’ve seen that the first year that I was here. There’s always one or two people missing,” Davison said after PLDT’s clinical 25-22, 25-17, 25-23 sweep over Creamline on Thursday.
“And having Jia back, she didn’t even play for Creamline when I started. So to see them together, like individually they’re strong athletes, they can become a little intimidating when you’re watching them line up like ‘Oh my gosh! There’s not one weak link here.”
Davison, however, wasted no time asserting herself against Creamline. In front of a packed crowd in San Juan, the ace hitter unloaded a game-high 26 points, with 13 alone coming in the opening frame. Her floor defense was no slouch either, as Davison added 11 excellent digs and 10 excellent receptions to her scoring output.
Key to Davison’s huge night was putting a premium on discipline, knowing that Creamline’s fans are enough to throw her and PLDT off their rhythm come game time.
“I’ve been working on patience and waiting all week, just trying to not to come out strong because Creamline and their fans, they can really make it a hard environment to play in. So I’m just glad that we were able to keep calm and stick together to grab the match,” she said.
Now that they’ve aced a huge acid test, Savi Davison hopes that PLDT can sustain their lethal form throughout the four-month long All-Filipino tilt.
“I knew it was going to be a hard match, but I’m just happy that we were able to come out with the win and we’re gonna try to do this moving forward. I don’t want to look too far ahead, but it’s one game at a time.”
Images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.