PLDT, Cignal, Creamline, Farm Fresh complete PVL All-Filipino Qualifying Round cast

After a chaotic and tightly contested preliminary phase, the PLDT High Speed Hitters, Cignal HD Spikers, Creamline Cool Smashers, and Farm Fresh Foxies have emerged as the final cast for the qualifying round of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.

Two outright semifinal spots now hang in the balance as the quartet prepares for a pair of knockout clashes on Thursday, with PLDT facing Farm Fresh and Cignal set to run it back against Creamline.

Creamline booked the final ticket in dramatic fashion, surviving an undermanned lineup and a relentless challenge from Cignal in a gripping five-set duel, 25-19, 25-20, 15-25, 26-28, 16-14, before a packed crowd at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.

In a deciding set that saw momentum swing wildly, the Cool Smashers leaned on composure and experience. Bea De Leon delivered the decisive moment, denying Jewel Encarnacion at the net to end a nerve-wracking contest and push Creamline into the next phase as the No. 3 seed.

A key factor in Creamline’s late surge was Alyssa Valdez, whose impact went beyond numbers and into momentum-shifting performances. When given extended playing time, Valdez delivered 14 points in one outing and followed it up with a 21-point performance anchored by 13 excellent receptions and digs. Her all-around brilliance powered Creamline to back-to-back wins to close the preliminaries, ultimately earning her PVL Player of the Week honors and helping secure their spot in the qualifying round.

That result sets up an immediate rematch, with Creamline facing No. 2 Cignal once more—this time with a semifinal berth on the line.

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HEAVYWEIGHTS COLLIDE

It’s PLDT taking on Farm Fresh as Cignal runs it back against Creamline in the qualifying round, with two outright semifinals seats up for grabs on Thursday.#PVL2026 @spinph pic.twitter.com/EUNHlSqtyY

— John Mark Garcia (@johnmarkdg_) March 21, 2026

If Creamline’s entry was defined by grit, Farm Fresh’s was built on authority. What had been expected as a tight, down-to-the-wire clash for a Top Four berth instead turned into a statement performance, as the Foxies dismantled the streaking Akari Power Chargers, 25-19, 25-14, 23-25, 25-17, at the same venue.

The emphatic win not only snapped Akari’s momentum but also secured Farm Fresh the No. 4 seed, allowing them to edge out both the Nxled Chameleons and Akari in a tightly contested tiebreak for the final qualifying spot.

Meanwhile, PLDT’s path to the top seed was shaped long before the final stretch. Even after absorbing a late setback against Nxled, the High Speed Hitters’ body of work had already established their position. A four-game winning streak to open the conference, followed by another three-game surge after a loss to Cignal, laid the foundation for their rise.

Those runs were not built on easy wins either. PLDT took down heavyweight contenders such as Creamline, the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, and Farm Fresh along the way—victories that ultimately defined their push for the No. 1 ranking heading into the qualifying round.

While the spotlight now shifts to the quarterfinalists, the battle continues for those left behind. Nxled finished fifth and Akari sixth, sending both teams to the Play-In stage along with the rest of the lower-ranked squads. The Chameleons will headline Group I with the Capital1 Solar Spikers and the Galeries Tower Highrisers, while Akari joins Choco Mucho and the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles in Group II.

From there, the path only gets tougher, with the Play-In winners still needing to defeat the losers of the qualifying round matches to complete the Final Four.

For now, however, the focus is set on four teams with everything still within reach. By the end of the week, only two will move forward—but all four have already shown why they belong.

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