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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Volleyball devider EST Cola, Ho Chi Minh ready to shake up PVL Invitational

EST Cola, Ho Chi Minh ready to shake up PVL Invitational

Published Aug 29, 2026 02:42 pm

At A Glance

  • Far from being mere visitors, the two Southeast Asian sides are expected to bring contrasting styles and international experience that could disrupt the established order when the Invitational blasts off Monday, Aug. 31, at the Araneta Coliseum.
EST Cola of Thailand and Ho Chi Minh City Volleyball Club of Vietnam may not carry the same household names as the Premier Volleyball League’s top local clubs, but they are coming to the PVL Invitational with something more important than star billing: the talent, experience and ambition to challenge for the title.
Far from being mere visitors, the two Southeast Asian sides are expected to bring contrasting styles and international experience that could disrupt the established order when the Invitational blasts off Monday, Aug. 31, at the Araneta Coliseum.
Creamline may have the deepest collection of proven stars. PLDT enters with the confidence of a defending champion. Nxled has assembled a star-studded roster capable of making a deep run, while Farm Fresh has the veteran presence and young firepower to cause problems.
But EST Cola and Ho Chi Minh City offer something the local teams cannot easily replicate – a different brand of volleyball forged by competition outside the Philippines, along with players accustomed to the demands of the regional game.
EST Cola, formerly composed of Thailand’s Under-20 national squad, already knows what it takes to compete in the Invitational. It finished fourth in its first appearance in 2024, losing to eventual third-place finisher and 2023 champion Kurashiki Ablaze of Japan in straight sets.
Leading its title charge are hitters Papatchaya Phontham and Nannaphat Moonjakham, middle blocker Waruni Kanram, and liberos Jiratcha Naoprachum and Nichakorn Wansuk.
Ho Chi Minh City, meanwhile, arrives with something to prove.
Vietnam’s new representative will be eager to erase the memory of the country’s sixth-place finish in the 2023 Invitational, when Kinh Bac Bac Ninh failed to win a single match.
The Vietnamese side will bank on the firepower of hitters Thi Kim Thanh Dang, Thi Bich Diep and Thi Nha Phuong Nguyen, backed by middle blockers Thi My Xuyen Le, Thi Nhung Dao and Thi My Duyen Dang.

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