Chery Tiggo strengthened its bid for a spot in the 2025 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Finals after sweeping ZUS Coffee, 25-17, 25-17, 25-23, Tuesday night at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
The Crossovers improved to a 3-1 record. They can formally clinch a place in the gold medal match with a win over Japanese guest team Kobe Shinwa University on Friday at 4:00 PM at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The victory also officially eliminated ZUS Coffee (0-3), Creamline (1-3), and Cignal (1-3) from Finals contention, as the maximum win total for each team is now just two.
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“Sa third set na yun, medyo shaky siya ,but we made sure sa players namin, sinabihan ko straightforwardly na hindi kayo kailangang mag-relax kasi walang reason para mag-relax kasi gustong manalo ng kabila,” said Chery Tiggo head coach Norman Miguel.
“Walang complacency. From the start, yun talaga ang reminder ko sa kanila, knowing kasi na inconsistent pa kami.”
The Thunderbelles showed their best fight in the third set, trading points with the Crossovers. But with the game tied at 23-all, ZUS Coffee faltered.
Kate Santiago’s back-row attack went straight into the net, giving Chery Tiggo match point. Wielyn Estoque then sealed their fate after sending her crosscourt attack wide to end the match.
Cess Robles led the Crossovers with 17 points, converting 15-of-30 spikes and adding two blocks. Ara Galang and Renee Peñafiel chipped in nine and eight points, respectively.
Meanwhile, Jen Nierva anchored the floor defense with 19 excellent receptions and 11 digs.
Chery Tiggo also displayed efficiency, committing just 10 errors throughout the match.
(C) PVL Images
Santiago paced ZUS Coffee with 11 points and eight excellent receptions, while Caroline Santos and Estoque contributed nine points apiece.
The Thunderbelles will wrap up their elimination round campaign against undefeated PLDT and Creamline on Thursday and Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
