HO Chi Minh City pulled off the biggest upset of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Invitational Conference so far, defeating defending champion PLDT, 28-26, 19-25, 25-21, 25-16, Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Vietnamese side, which entered the match without a victory in its first two games, delivered a strong performance against the High Speed Hitters and finally secured its first win of the tournament.
PLDT, meanwhile, suffered its second consecutive defeat after opening its title defense with a victory over Thailand’s EST Cola.
The loss further complicated the defending champions’ bid to return to the championship match, with PLDT now needing a victory against Farm Fresh on Friday to keep its finals hopes alive.
Ho Chi Minh City set the tone by edging PLDT in a closely fought opening set, 28-26. The High Speed Hitters responded in the second frame, taking it 25-19 to level the match.
The Vietnamese squad, however, regained control in the third set and carried its momentum into the fourth, where it pulled away convincingly to complete the upset.
With the tournament’s top two teams advancing to the championship match, every remaining game has become increasingly important for the teams still in contention.
Meanwhile, EST Cola of Thailand (2-1) overcame a tough stand by Nxled Chameleons (1-2) for a 26-24, 21-25, 21-25, 30-28, 15-12 victory and took the solo second place in the Invitational.
(Adrian Co)
