THE PLDT High Speed Hitters will launch their PVL Invitational Conference title defense on Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum knowing it would lean to one thing — survival of the fittest.
“Teams are stacked,” said PLDT team manager Bajjie del Rosario, whose Manny V. Pangilinan-owned franchise opens hostilities versus EST Cola of Thailand.
Truly, the other three local clubs — Creamline, Nxled and Farm Fresh — have beefed up their rosters with a recruiting coup early this year apart from the competitiveness of two foreign teams, including one from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
The Creamline Cool Smashers, for one, have signed up Sachi Minowa for a one-conference deal and should be one of the teams to beat.
Same with the Nxled Chameleons, who have inherited players from many-time champion Petro Gazz like Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips and Myla Pablo while picking up veteran setter Gel Cayuna from Cignal.
The Farm Fresh Foxies too have shored up their roster by picking up key stalwarts from Chery Tiggo and Cignal while adding titled Japanese mentor Koji Tsuzurabara.
It will also be a short but sweet conference, which meant there would be games almost everyday.
“It won’t be easy especially with the schedule of games, its really survival of the fittest,” said Mr. del Rosario.
The High Speed Hitters, however, are no pushover themselves, having picked up Leila Cruz, a second overall rookie pick two years ago by the Capital1 Solar Spikers.
And PLDT is ready to unleash Ms. Cruz this conference, to add to an already loaded roster of Savi Davison, Kianna Dy, Majoy Baron, Mika Reyes, Kim Fajardo and Kath Arado.
“She’s adjusting well in the system of coach Rald (Ricafort), she is ready to play,” he said. — Joey Villar