By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Chery Tiggo Crossovers pulled off a clutch five-set victory over the Galeries Tower, 26-24, 23-25, 19-25, 25-12, 15-9, to punch a semifinal slot in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference on April 25, 2024.
It was Chery Tiggo’s closest win in the last two weeks and just extended its PVL regular season winning streak to seven consecutive games before the round-robin semifinals begins.
After a see-saw affair in the opening frame, the Crossovers saw themselves in deep trouble after Galeries stunned them in the next two sets to hold a 2-1 advantage heading into the fourth.
Chery Tiggo had to regroup after committing tons of unforced errors during their back-to-back set losses which was capitalized by Galeries.
The young Galeries squad also deployed a taller lineup in their middle to contain the offense of Eya Laure and Ara Galang which did wonders for them in the second and the third.
Just when Galeries thought they could finish the game and walk away with a momentum-boosting win, the more experienced Chery Tiggo squad unleashed a much-needed fightback spearheaded by Laure who delivered another spectacular performance for the Crossovers.
After connecting on her first two cross-court hits, the Crossovers suddenly gained life and were more efficient with their sets midway through the fourth.
Chery Tiggo then just kept on feeding Laure who steered them to the fifth and deciding set. Although Galeries was able to punch first, the Crossovers’ consistent approach in the final crucial stretch helped them earn their seventh straight victory.
Laure top-scored Chery Tiggo with a team-high 20-point performance built from 15 successful attacks to go alongside 18 excellent receptions, 11 excellent digs, and five blocks.
Meanwhile, veteran spiker Galang, also stepped up when the Crossovers needed her the most after contributing 13 points on 12 successful attacks.
“Ano lang, mapapa-thank you Lord ka na lang sa game kasi nga everybody’s game. Kami naghabol. At least sa dulo tumama yung adjustment namin,” said Chery Tiggo’s amiable mentor Kungfu Reyes after the close win.
