Est Cola sweeps Ho Chi Minh spikers to book PVL Invitational finals slot

MANILA, Philippines -- Thailand’s recent historic 2028 Los Angeles Olympics qualification has established itself as a legitimate volleyball power in Asia.

And it has rubbed off on the younger Thais of Est Cola as they routed the Vietnamese of the Ho Chi Minh Volleyball Federation, 25-19, 26-24, 26-24, on Sunday to claim the first PVL Invitational finals berth at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

It was the fourth win for Est Cola in five matches, which came a couple of days after turning what looked like a losing effort versus a Sachi Minowa-led Creamline into a stunning four-set triumph.

Now, the Thais await their foe in the one-game finale scheduled Tuesday also at the Big Dome.

One of them could be the Nxled Chameleons, who downed the Farm Fresh Foxies, 25-20, 25-21, 18-25, 25-22, for the former’s third win against two defeats.

Or it could be Creamline, currently with a 3-1 mark, if the 11-time champion defeats PLDT in their duel as of this writing.

The High Speed Hitters, who own a 2-2 slate, have already been eliminated and dethroned regardless of the result of their match with the Cool Smashers because of lower tiebreak score.

“We simply just have to wait for what will happen,” said Nxled coach Guidetti Ettore.

Guidetti, however, stressed that whatever happens, he is satisfied with how his team competed for every point.

“It’s clear to everyone that this is a fighting team because we didn’t lose a single set by a big score and I’m really proud of the way we played in this mini tournament,” he said.

Nxled middle blocker MJ Phillips agreed.

“Honestly, I give it to my teammates because I wouldn’t be here without them and I’m so proud of their mentality, we’ve come a long way,” said Phillips, who erupted for a match-best 25 points including 19 on kills.

That Phillips explosion proved enough to help fill the void left by Brooke Van Sickle, who remained sidelined due to shoulder issues.