Rald Ricafort admits “pressure is off” after PLDT’s 15-game win streak comes to an end

The PLDT High Speed Hitters’ 15-game unbeaten streak came to a stunning end after they were swept by an undermanned Cignal HD Spikers squad, 25-17, 25-22, 25-21, in the ongoing 2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference on Tuesday, October 21, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Cignal’s victory was made even more remarkable by the absence of their Greek import Eva Chantava, who recently parted ways with the team. Stepping up in her absence, Erika Santos and Ishie Lalongisip spearheaded the attack to snap Cignal’s two-game skid and secure their first win of the conference.

Despite the end of their impressive run, PLDT head coach Rald Ricafort took the loss in stride, describing it as “a relief” that removes external pressure and allows his team to refocus on the bigger goal — winning the Reinforced Conference crown.

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“Win or lose, we always remind the team to stay solid. What we emphasized tonight is patience, and we need even more of that now after this loss,” said Ricafort during the post-match press conference. “We always go back to our process. We were lucky that our process led to 15 straight wins, but that’s not always how life works. Eventually, we all have to come back down.”

PLDT coach Rald Ricafort after a tough loss to Cignal. #PVL2025 #PVLReinforced @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/tLcZXJMiD8

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) October 22, 2025

“At least now, it already happened. The pressure is off. The outside noise and distractions are out. We’ll go back to doing the work we know we need to do,” he added.

PLDT’s 15-game winning streak ranks as the third-longest in PVL history, behind the Creamline Cool Smashers’ 25 consecutive wins from 2019 to 2021 and the 19-game run that the High Speed Hitters themselves ended earlier this year in the All-Filipino Conference.

Ricafort admitted that his team struggled to find rhythm and looked “heavy and stiff” throughout the match — something he views as part of the learning curve.

“Whether you have imports or not, you can’t win if everyone isn’t in top shape,” he said. “We don’t want to rely on just one or two people. Today’s game was a big lesson. The players didn’t want it to go that way, but bad games happen. We just need to take this as a real lesson.”

He also credited Cignal for playing with composure and confidence despite missing their import.

“You could see how much more freely they played — less pressure, more confidence. They really earned that win. As for us, I’m not making excuses, but clearly, we looked hesitant and stiff,” Ricafort concluded.

With the loss, PLDT dropped to second place in the Reinforced Conference standings with a 2–1 record. The High Speed Hitters will look to bounce back when they face the Farm Fresh Foxies on Saturday, October 25, at the Ynares Center in Montalban.

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