Savi Davison (left) is looking to soar anew in the Finals. —PVL IMAGES
A year ago, Savi Davison was sidelined with a knee injury when PLDT, on the cusp of reaching the PVL Reinforced Conference finals, suffered a heartbreak at the hands of Akari in the fifth set of a game mostly remembered for a close call on an unsuccessful net fault video challenge.
Wounds have healed, and PLDT now has a complete, healthy line-up with Davison, recharged from a vacation she spent at home in Canada, settling the unfinished business to send the franchise to the PVL championship game for the first time.
When the High Speed Hitters stood on the verge defeat after Creamline took a commanding two-set-to-one lead, Davison seized the wheel and willed PLDT back, unleashing eight of her 34 points in the fifth set to fulfill a 27-25, 22-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-10 conquest in the knockout PVL on Tour semifinal on Tuesday evening at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
After watching from behind the PLDT bench in the Reinforced semifinals last year, the Filipino Canadian hitter refused to give up on what had been an elusive final appearance.
The silent type
“I think being able to contribute on the court is a big difference. I’m not a huge vocal person, so me being on the sideline last year when we entered semis, was a little bit challenging for me because I didn’t get to experience what it felt like to be on the court and what it was to support everybody else from the court,” Davison told the Inquirer.
“Having the control is something that I love to have because I’m super type A, so you know, like I said, as long as I can lead by example, as long as I can give and contribute by example, that’s the best situation for me.”
It may be a preseason tournament, but reaching the final for the first time was a fulfilling moment for the 26-year-old spiker, who has been the main gunner of PLDT for the past two years.
“It took a lot to get here, so hopefully we close it out with a win, but like I said, there’s always a conference after this and there’s always opportunities to get better, so hopefully that happens,” Davison said.
Standing in their way is Chery Tiggo, which hopes to win its first PVL title since the 2021 bubble tournament in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.
Davison braces for an epic winner-take-all game against the well-rounded Crossovers, led by fellow first-time PVL finalist Ara Galang, on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.
“Like us, they’ve probably been training and getting better and making adjustments so that they could be in the finals like they have, but I’m excited to be against Ara, she’s my opposite, so I’ll be hitting against her and stuff like that,” said Davison.
“They have really good defense, they’re just very well-rounded, like they have (Aby) Maraño. When everyone needs a pickup, they have really experienced players, so it’s definitely gonna be a hard game, a good game, hopefully, but hopefully we show up just a little bit more energized.”
Galang, who scored 15 points, including the match-winner, to eliminate Cignal in four sets, was holding back her tears after reaching her first-ever PVL final.
But she stressed that the job’s not finished as they won’t waste this chance to reclaim the glory for the Crossovers, who have a ‘no superstar’ culture.
“I’m just really, really happy. Right now, I’ll enjoy the moment a bit, but I’m already thinking about what’s next. I don’t want to stop here,” said an emotional Galang in Filipino.
“We’ve made it to the finals, and I really want to make the most of this opportunity.”
Galang, a UAAP champion with La Salle who also won other titles for the defunct F2 Logistics, is determined to repay Chery Tiggo’s trust by becoming the first-ever PVL preseason champion.
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“I’ll keep doing my best for as long as I can to help this Chery team. I want to give back for the trust they’ve given me. I also play for my family and for everyone who believes in me. And if there are people I’m able to inspire, kids, adults, whoever, that’s also who I’m playing for,” Galang said.