PLDT reinforced its title contender status with a commanding victory over ZUS Coffee, sweeping the Thunderbelles, 25-20, 25-16, 25-15, on Saturday to formalize its claim on the No. 4 seed in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.

Riding high after their thrilling upset of the unbeaten Creamline Cool Smashers, the High Speed Hitters showcased their firepower, with Savi Davison dropping 17 points after a career-high 34 against the defending champions last week.

Supported by Majoy Baron (10), Erika Santos (8), Mika Reyes (7) and Fiola Ceballos (4), PLDT overwhelmed the youthful Thunderbelles before a packed crowd at the City of Passi Arena in Iloilo to close out the prelims with an 8-3 (win-loss) record.

Now set for a knockout rematch with ZUS Coffee, which finished the prelims at No. 9 with a 4-7 mark, PLDT holds a clear edge. While anything can happen in do-or-die matches, the Thunderbelles face an uphill battle against the in-form High Speed Hitters, who are already looking ahead to the quarterfinals and tougher competition ahead.

The qualifying round begins on Thursday, with the six winners advancing to the best-of-three quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the losers will battle it out in a play-in tournament for the remaining two QF spots.

PLDT head coach Rald Ricafort expressed satisfaction with his team's straight-set victory, praising the players who stepped up.

“Our mindset is to perform well for our next opponent,” said Ricafort, emphasizing their focus on avoiding complacency as they aim for the championship.

Later in the day, Choco Mucho underscored its playoff readiness with a straight-set victory over Chery Tiggo, 25-18, 25-23, 26-24.

The victory marked Choco Mucho’s eighth win against three losses, placing them in a tie with the Cignal HD Spikers and the PLDT High Speed Hitters. However, Cignal secured the No. 3 seed with a superior total points tally, while PLDT settled for No. 4, pushing the Flying Titans to the fifth spot.

Chery Tiggo, meanwhile, finished with a 5-6 record, tying with Farm Fresh and Akari. However, the Foxies and the Chargers edged them out in the tiebreak, claiming the No. 6 and No. 7 seeds, respectively.

As a result, Choco Mucho and Chery Tiggo will face off again in a crucial one-game qualifying round. In other matchups, No. 3 Cignal will battle Galeries Tower, while No. 4 PLDT takes on ZUS Coffee.