A GOOD PROBLEM
Kim Fajardo is enjoying the luxury of options as she runs PLDT’s offense.
With a deep roster around her, the veteran setter has been able to spread the ball around, fueling the High Speed Hitters’ balanced attack in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
Yes, Savi Davison continues to anchor the scoring, but Fajardo also has dependable weapons in Kianna Dy, middle blockers Mika Reyes and Majoy Baron and rookie Alleiah Malaluan—an abundance of firepower that may present its own set of problems.
Fajardo, however, sees otherwise.
“That’s a good problem for me because everyone wants to score and everyone wants the ball,” Fajardo said in Filipino. “For me, it’s about trusting my decision-making and trusting my teammates.”
That trust was shown on Tuesday.
Tougher matches
Fajardo dished out 15 excellent sets, while Davison poured in 21 points to lead PLDT to a 25-18, 25-22, 25-17 sweep of Galeries Tower at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
The victory pushed the High Speed Hitters closer to clinching a top-four finish in the elimination round.
PLDT improved to a conference-best 6-1 (win-loss) and now needs just one more win to secure a spot in the qualifying round, where the top four teams—No. 1 against No. 4 and No. 2 against No. 3—will battle for the first two semifinal berths.
Despite the strong position, coach Rald Ricafort wants the team to stay grounded as tougher matches loom, starting with a clash against Choco Mucho on Saturday.
Fajardo, however, is pleased not only with the team’s execution but also with the character it has shown since PLDT’s title runs in the PVL on Tour and the Invitational Conference.
“I’m happy because skills can always be trained. The things we need to do on the court can be taught,” she said. “But what I’m really happy about is that, as someone inside the team, I can feel the discipline.”
“Those are the things you can’t easily teach, like communication and attitude on the court. It’s not the same feeling as in previous seasons. Now you can really feel that everyone wants to keep fighting.”
New generation
The 32-year-old Fajardo also relishes the chance to face a new generation of setters in the league.
Against Galeries Tower, she squared off with Julia Coronel, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft and a setter for the national team program Alas Pilipinas.
Earlier in the conference, Fajardo also went head-to-head with top playmakers like Creamline’s Jia De Guzman and Cignal’s Gel Cayuna.
“For me, just because we’re the veterans doesn’t mean we’re always on top,” Fajardo said. “Everything still goes back to the basics, so we also have to learn from the younger players.”
“Before the game started, I was excited to see Julia’s improvement, especially since she played for Alas. I was really happy to face her and see what more she can show.”
Reyes added 10 points, highlighted by four blocks, while Malaluan chipped in nine points along with 14 excellent receptions and seven digs.
Galeries Tower absorbed its third straight loss and slipped to 2-5 in ninth place.
No Highriser scored in double figures, with Jean Asis and Gayle Pascual leading the team with nine and eight points, respectively.
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