‘Horrible experience’: PVL hangs up on PLDT’s semifinal endgame protest versus Akari

MANILA, Philippines – The Premier Volleyball League has junked the PLDT High Speed Hitters’ last-gasp protest on the outcome of their controversial endgame net touch challenge against the Reinforced Conference final-bound Akari Chargers on Sunday, September 1.

“We [have] yet to know what this horrible experience is trying to teach us, but one thing PLDT is proud of as a team is how we are one in fighting for the integrity not just of our team, but for the entirety of Philippine volleyball,” read the team’s statement that also broke the news of its protest’s junking.

“We cannot thank the fans enough, the fans who fought for us and with us. Your love for our favorite sport is undeniable.”

In a previous interview, PVL commissioner Sherwin Malonzo said that while the league is accepting PLDT’s protest, it will also side with its officials who concluded that Akari middle blocker Ezra Madrigal’s net touch, though obvious, was also situationally legal in the eyes of the FIVB rule book that was cited.

Hours after the controversial knockout semifinal that Akari eventually won in five sets to oust PLDT, the league came up with a text post and video summarizing how Madrigal’s net touch was legal and thus not reversible through a net touch violation challenge.

With PLDT losing that particular challenge due to those very specific reasons and the fact that the challenge was made mid-rally, a point was awarded to Akari that reset match point, 14-all, thus opening a bigger window for the Chargers to capitalize and take over.

In the heat of the moment, however, the PVL was unable to properly relay the multi-layered technical pieces of information to an understandably emotional PLDT side, and elected not to show any replay video at the Mall of Asia Arena screens for the on-edge public to see.

This string of actions elicited massive backlash onsite and online, causing fans to boo Akari after its final-clinching win, and triggering netizens to pelt the league with negative reactions and comments in every post concerning the Akari-PLDT match.

With the decision now final, the PVL moves on to its last game day on Monday, September 2, as PLDT and sister team Cignal fight for the bronze, while Akari and Creamline contest the gold in one last knockout war.

Through pure coincidence with the timing of its protest, PLDT has also pulled out of the upcoming 2024 Invitational Conference, this time, however, due to nagging injuries to its star players.

In a separate query, Malonzo revealed that this pullout request was floated to the league days before PLDT’s fateful semifinal with Akari. – Rappler.com