Manila: For steering PLDT to a perfect title conquest in the first two conferences of the 2025-2026 season, Rald Ricafort will be honored as Coach of the Year in the 2nd Pilipinas Live Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Press Corps Awards Night at the Novotel Manila Araneta City on May 30. The PLDT High Speed Hitters completed a sweep of the inaugural PVL on Tour to claim their first pro crown and extended their unbeaten run to the Invitationals, achieving an impressive 15-game winning streak.
According to Philippines News Agency, Ricafort received a total of 11 points from an average of 7.8 media votes and 3.2 team votes to beat former Cignal mentor Shaq Delos Santos and Creamline's Sherwin Meneses. Under Ricafort, the High Speed Hitters finished fourth in the Reinforced Conference and took home a maiden bronze medal in this year's All-Filipino tilt.
Meanwhile, the Creamline Cool Smashers earned their second consecutive Team of the Year award at the annual awards rites, also supported by Immuni+ and Rebisco. Creamline amassed a total of 10.4 points - 6.0 from media and 4.4 from team votes - to prevail over PLDT and Cignal. Despite being pushed to a pair of do-or-die games, and the Cignal HD Spikers threatening to force a decider in the finals, the Cool Smashers reigned in the 2026 All-Filipino Conference, proving that their dynasty remained well and alive.
In the Spikers' Turf, the Criss Cross King Crunchers emerged as the league's new standard-bearers. Criss Cross ended seasons of heartbreak last November, winning its first-ever title after outlasting Japan's Kindai University in an epic five-set showdown in the 2025 Invitational Conference final. The King Crunchers also defended the 2026 Open Conference title, turning back the Savouge Spin Doctors in Game 3 behind five-time Conference Most Valuable Player Jude Garcia.
For their efforts, the King Crunchers were unanimously voted as Spikers' Turf Team of the Year and Tai Bundit as Coach of the Year by print and online scribes covering the men's club league organized by Sports Vision.
