By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Chery Tiggo Crossovers became the first team to taint the PLDT High-Speed Hitters’ record in the ongoing Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference on December 3, 2024.
Fresh off a dominant sweeping win over the NXLED Chameleons, the Crossovers picked up where they left off and shackled the High-Speed Hitters in just four sets, 25-12, 25-23, 20-25, 25-22, to improve to a 3-1 win-loss record.
After a comfortable 2-0 lead when they out-maneuvered the High-Speed Hitters, PLDT had some breath of fresh air after pulling off a gut-wrenching third-frame win to stay alive in the contest.
PLDT started to shake off their middle blocking woes and turned it up on the defensive side which sparked them to their third-set rally.
However, Chery Tiggo reverted to their go-to plays in the fourth and final set, starting with several 1-2 quick cross-court plays for Ilongga outside spiker Princess Robles.
It was not only Robles who delivered in the final crucial stretch for the Crossovers but national team libero Jen Nierva also fortified their floor coverage with her insane digs and excellent receptions.
With the two-way efficiency working for Chery Tiggo, the High-Speed Hitters began to crumble late in the game and committed some uncostly unforced errors that helped widen the gap for the Crossovers.
PLDT threatened to force a marathon in the fourth but thanks to the trio of Robles, Pauline Gaston, and Ara Galang as the veteran mob chipped in the timely hits to cap off the impressive win.
Robles, the former Central Philippine University (CPU) standout, top-scored for the Crossovers with 17 points derived from 14 successful attacks.
This is the second time that the pride of Arevalo, Iloilo City led Chery Tiggo in scoring as she replicated her feat during their win over NXLED when she tallied 15 markers.
Backstopping Robles was Nierva, who anchored the Crossovers’ floor coverage with a dominant stat line of 17 excellent digs and 16 excellent receptions.
Galang contributed 13 points built from 10 successful attacks while the duo of Shaya Adorador and Gaston had 11 and 10 markers, respectively.
On the other hand, the High-Speed Hitters received another stellar showing from their superstar Savannah Davison who erupted for 27 points.
However, Chery Tiggo’s balanced offensive attack mixed with their disciplined defense on the floor coverage and middle blocking made the difference en route to a masterclass victory.
