For the PLDT High Speed Hitters, the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference was a turning point – a hard-earned bronze that marked their first trip to the podium in this edition. But if you ask the players about the grit required to get there, while the never-ending drills and relentless gym hours are definitely important, they will mostly talk about the importance of the support from home. Behind the High Speed Hitters are the ever-reliable figures who taught them discipline before they ever touched a volleyball – their moms.
This Mother’s Day, the team is stripping away the jersey numbers to share the personal stories of the women who fueled their historic run.
For Filipino-Canadian outside hitter Savi Davison, the pressure of professional sports is balanced by a mother who refuses to measure her daughter’s worth in wins.
“She never put pressure on me to achieve accolades,” the PVL On Tour Most Valuable Player says. She adds, her mother’s mantra was simpler: Your best will always be enough. From the logistics of early-morning practices to the emotional weight of cross-country flights, her mom was the silent engine that kept her going, and it paid out well as Davison became one of the team’s top anchors in the PVL.
So, for Davison, this Mother’s Day weekend is all about mirroring that consistency. “My mom already knows how much she means to me – she’s not only my mother, but also my best friend,” she says. “If there’s anything more to say, it’s that I’m incredibly proud to be so much like her. Even with her strong and independent nature, she remains wistful, curious, and always beautiful.”
Professional volleyball can be a lifestyle of distance, too. For opposite hitter Jessey de Leon, Mother’s Day 2026 will be a digital one. Currently outside the Philippines, she relies on a screen to stay present.
“I’ll be video calling her,” de Leon explains. Her mother’s support has always been the quiet kind, the type that provides space for growth while keeping a player grounded. Whether it’s a quick check-in via video call or a shared digital meal, the connection remains uninterrupted, turning a physical absence into a meaningful moment through fast, reliable internet by PLDT Home.
“I’m so grateful for her and for everything she’s sacrificed for our family. She’s shown me what it really means to care for her children,” de Leon says, before adding a heartfelt message, “I love you always!”
Team skipper Kath Arado also knows the feeling of this distance all too well. While she’s in Manila, her heart is in Iligan City in Northern Mindanao. The recent conference’s Best Libero has a drive rooted in a specific kind of maternal sacrifice: her mother once flew to another country to work as a caregiver, ensuring their family had what they needed.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without her,” Arado says. “I thank her for all the sacrifices, love, and support she’s given me and to my younger siblings.”
This year, the distance is closed with a video call and a coordinated surprise – cake and flowers delivered to Iligan, a small way to honor a woman who gave up so much. The distance is no hurdle for Arado and her family to celebrate, and she proves that across seas, she is just as reliable as her idol of a mom.
Lastly, for outside hitter Alleiah Malaluan, the off-season is a time for physical recovery, but also for emotional regrouping. Her mother has been her “number one supporter” since her youth, providing the moral compass that Malaluan credits for her success. This weekend, a delivery of flowers to Batangas serves as a placeholder for her gratitude.
“Mommy, thank you for everything you’ve done for me,” Malaluan says in a special message for her mother. “Know that I am really grateful to call you my mom. I love you!”
Bridging real, reliable connections
While the PVL bronze medal might be the trophy on the shelf, the real victory for the High Speed Hitters is the support system that never wavers. Whether they are celebrating in person or via high-definition video call, the ever-reliable connection of PLDT Home Fiber makes sure that for these athletes, the most important connections at home never time out.
