How would Savi Davison describe her leap-of-faith decision to move from Toronto to Manila?
Two years ago, Savi Davison made a massive leap of faith to leave her native Canada to play professional volleyball in the Philippines with the PLDT High Speed Hitters.
Sure, Savi was no stranger to leaving her native Canada, having done so as a Biochemistry major at New Mexico State University, and as a Masters in Business Administration student at Oklahoma State University. But it was also true that a possible move to the Philippines was an entirely different equation.
In particular, there was a 12-hour time difference between Manila and Toronto, along with an 8,000-mile distance from her family, which caused some uncertainties in Savi’s decision-making process.
But if Savi had the chance to talk to herself two years ago, her message would have been simple: “Go for it.”
“You know, back then, it was not so much of a clear decision because it is a far move, right? It’s not like you’re moving to the States or moving to Europe; you’re moving a full 12 hours across the world,” Savi told The GAME in an exclusive interview shortly after PLDT ruled the 2025 PVL Invitational Conference against Kobe Shinwa University last Sunday, August 31.
“I mean, I was greatly supported by my family that’s here. So for me, at least I have a little piece of home here in the Philippines with me, people that are familiar,” continued Savi, with relatives from her mom’s family being in attendance during the Invitational Conference finals.
“But yeah, I would just tell her to go for it. It turns out to be one of the best decisions, I guess, Savi two years ago could have made.”
At PLDT, Savi Davison has found a family away from home and is part of a group that has witnessed her growth from a newcomer into one of the PVL’s most feared outside hitters. At the same time, it was also with this group that she went through the gruelling lows of professional volleyball.
“For me, it was not the adjustment of being somewhere foreign, but more so finding your people in that country, and I was just lucky enough to have people already that were supporting me, and with the management and coaching staff,” Savi said.
While it’s true that she once had second thoughts, Savi admits that it didn’t take long before PLDT established itself as her safe space.
“Coach Rald [Ricafort] was actually new that year that I came here; he came in January, and I came in the following September. But I know through conversations that this was the right group to go to, that I had the support that I needed,” the ace hitter shared.
“And if I were to get in any trouble or any kind of, you know, just bad place, I guess that it would be okay.”
Long time coming
Today, Savi Davison and PLDT are two-time PVL champions, having ruled the PVL on Tour and PVL Invitational Conference throughout the month of August. Two years since setting foot in Manila, Savi has finally gotten the coveted hardware that she and PLDT have long dreamed of.
As she and the team have repeatedly said, such a breakthrough is only made sweeter by the heartbreaks they have endured in past conferences. That every lost set, every lost game, every lost podium finish was preparing them for this very moment.
“I keep on telling everybody that I wouldn’t do this with any other team, and I’m glad that my first time here was with the right people, with the right support, with PLDT,” Savi said. “They built this team from the ground up, right? So like four or five years ago in the PVL.
“I mean, it just goes to show that things that are worth it are hard [to get], or things that are good are hard, you know? So it’s a process.”
Even Savi herself had a personal breakthrough amid PLDT’s back-to-back title runs, as she won her first-ever PVL Most Valuable Player award in the one-week Invitationals. In four elimination games played, the 26-year-old finished third in scoring with 94 points built on 81 attacks, nine blocks, and four service aces.
Savi also flexed her all-around game by ranking second in spiking with a 38.57 percent efficiency, third in service at 0.22 aces per set, sixth in blocking with 0.50 per set, and seventh in receiving with a 30.00 percent clip.
“The championship comes first, but the individual award is a bonus,” Savi said. “I couldn’t get the individual award without my team being here and working hard and supporting me.”
“Volleyball is one of those sports where you can’t really rely on one person. And I’m just glad that I have, you know, the five other girls on the court, let alone the 15 other girls on the team to kind of help me and push me to be better every single day.”
Images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.