MANILA — Thailand’s EST Cola has blown the 2026 PVL Invitational Conference wide open.
The Thai guest team handed previously unbeaten Creamline its first loss of the tournament, rallying for a thrilling 17-25, 25-21, 25-22, 27-25 victory Friday night at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The victory was more than an upset.
It put EST Cola on level terms with the Cool Smashers at 3-1, leaving both teams just one victory away from securing a place in the championship round as the preliminary phase heads into its final day.
And suddenly, what looked like Creamline’s race to control has become a four-team fight for two Finals berths.
EST Cola refuses to fold
Creamline came into the match unbeaten and appeared poised to strengthen its position at the top.
Instead, EST Cola absorbed the early setback, recovered after dropping the opening set, and controlled the next two frames.
The Thai side then appeared to have the match firmly in hand after building an 18-9 advantage in the fourth set and later holding a 23-19 lead.
Creamline, however, unleashed the kind of comeback that has become familiar from the Cool Smashers.
The Filipinas battled all the way back and even reached set point at 25-24.
EST Cola refused to crack.
Natnicha Saelao leveled the score before Nannaphat Moonjakham put the Thais at match point with a well-placed drop ball. Nattharika Wasan then delivered the decisive finish, stopping Tots Carlos’ crosscourt attempt and ending the contest after more than two hours.
Phontham powers the upset
The biggest weapon in EST Cola’s upset was Papatchaya Phontham.
The 20-year-old Thai opposite spiker erupted for 27 points and 12 digs, leading the visitors through the pressure-filled contest.
Nannaphat Moonjakham added 16 points and 15 excellent receptions, while Nirarach Srikuta contributed 12 points and 15 receptions.
For Creamline, Jaja Santiago-Minowa paced the Cool Smashers with 19 points.
Jema Galanza added 15 points, 16 receptions and 15 digs, while team captain Alyssa Valdez finished with 11 points and 11 receptions.
The loss snapped Creamline’s perfect start to the Invitational but did not eliminate the team from contention.
Far from it.
One win can change everything
With one preliminary-round date remaining, EST Cola and Creamline are both 3-1 with eight match points.
But they are not alone.
Nxled sits at 2-2 with seven points, while defending champion PLDT is 2-2 with six points.
That makes Sunday’s schedule potentially decisive:
- 1:30 p.m. — Farm Fresh vs. Nxled
- 4 p.m. — EST Cola vs. Ho Chi Minh City
- 6:30 p.m. — PLDT vs. Creamline
All games will be played at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The equation is simple for the two current leaders.
Beat their respective opponents, and they are in.
A victory would move either EST Cola or Creamline to 4-1—an unbeaten record that neither Nxled nor PLDT could match.
But a loss could send the standings into a complicated tiebreak scenario involving match points, set ratio and potentially point ratio.
PLDT and Nxled still alive
The defending champion PLDT High Speed Hitters remain in the hunt, but their path is considerably narrower.
PLDT needs to defeat Creamline in three or four sets and then receive help from the other results, particularly from the Nxled-Farm Fresh and EST Cola-Ho Chi Minh City matches. A five-set win over Creamline would not provide enough match points to guarantee a favorable position.
Nxled, meanwhile, must defeat Farm Fresh.
A three- or four-set victory would give the Chameleons 10 points and put them in position to overtake one of the current leaders if either Creamline or EST Cola loses.
In other words, Sunday is not just the final day of the eliminations—it is a survival test for four teams.
Creamline’s loss changes the narrative
Creamline’s defeat is particularly significant because the Cool Smashers entered the match as the tournament’s unbeaten team and had been building momentum through the preliminary round.
They now face defending champion PLDT with their Finals berth still in their own hands.
A win sends Creamline through.
A loss opens the door for Nxled and PLDT to make the standings considerably more complicated.
EST Cola faces a similar situation against Ho Chi Minh City.
The Thai club has won three straight after losing its opening match to PLDT, making Friday’s victory the latest chapter in a remarkable turnaround.
The official PVL website likewise lists EST Cola’s three-set-and-match progression and identifies Phontham as the Player of the Game after her 27-point performance against Creamline.
The Final-Day drama begins
One match has changed the entire complexion of the tournament.
Creamline is no longer unbeaten.
EST Cola is no longer chasing from behind.
Nxled and PLDT are still within striking distance.
And with only two Finals spots available, every set—and potentially every point—could matter.
The Thai side has already proven it can knock off the tournament favorite.
Now comes the bigger question:
Can EST Cola finish the job and turn Friday night’s upset into a championship appearance?
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