Kath Arado beamed with pride as PLDT — a squad long plagued by near-misses in the Premier Volleyball League — defied expectations on the continental stage, even as their campaign ended early with a quarterfinal loss to Zhetysu in the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League on Thursday afternoon at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
The High Speed Hitters have become almost synonymous with fourth or fifth-place finishes over the last six PVL conferences, most recently capped by a heartbreaking quarterfinal exit in the All-Filipino Conference — a grueling two-game, 10-set series against the Choco Mucho Flying Titans that went down to the wire.
Eager to rewrite their narrative, PLDT found an opening for redemption when the Asian Volleyball Confederation granted the Philippines an additional slot in the tournament. This, coupled with the withdrawal of Japan’s NEC Red Rockets, paved the way for PLDT’s wildcard entry into the continental competition.
“Sakin naman, sobrang proud. Proud talaga ako sa pinakita ng team. ‘Yung tutok kasi talaga ng bawat isa, kahit ‘yung mga coaches na talagang i-instruct talaga kami point-by-point,” Arado said following PLDT’s 25-13, 25-22, 25-20 loss to the Kazakh club.
Despite the result, Arado could not be prouder of her team's showing in the international tournament. The High Speed Hitters opened their campaign with a dominant victory over Australia’s Queensland, then nearly stunned Thai powerhouse Nakhon Ratchasima in a thrilling five-set encounter during pool play.
PLDT once again pushed the limits in the quarterfinals, holding their own against Zhetysu — a storied team in Kazakhstan — by keeping pace through most of the match. In both the second and third sets, the High Speed Hitters even held brief leads, but Zhetysu’s composure and imposing frontline ultimately proved too much to overcome.
Arado, as always, stood tall in defense throughout PLDT’s final two matches. She recorded 28 excellent digs and nine excellent receptions against Nakhon Ratchasima, followed by 17 excellent digs and six receptions in their showdown with Zhetysu.
“Kinapos man pero madami kaming natutunan tsaka ‘yung gulang talaga namin medyo kulang pa,” Arado reflected, acknowledging the team’s growth and the valuable lessons they’re bringing back home.
