Ninth-ranked Galeries Tower stunned No. 8 Capital1, 25-16, 25-20, 30-28, to advance further in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference stepladder play-ins on Tuesday at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.
The Highrisers will now face another higher-ranked opponent, No. 5 Nxled Chameleons, on Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in a bid to reach the final step of the play-in.
It was a massive victory for Galeries Tower, ending a five-game slide while avenging their 20-25, 25-22, 22-25, 24-26 loss to Capital1 last Saturday in the preliminaries.
(C) PVL Images
“Talagang pinaghandaan din namin talaga ’tong laban na ’to. Siyempre, nandito na kami, so ginrab na lang namin ‘tong opportunity na ‘to, which is gumanda naman ‘yung galaw ng mga players namin. Kahit yung linggo, hiniram na namin para lang makapag-training kami nang maayos. Worth naman yung sakripisyo na ginawa namin,” said Highrisers head coach Aying Esteban.
After taking the first two sets, Galeries Tower seemed poised to cruise to victory when 2025 second overall pick Jean Asis scored three straight points to put them up 23-20.
But 2025 top overall selection Bella Belen had other plans.
Belen carried the Solar Spikers from there, scoring four points on a 5-1 counter run to give her team a 25-24 set point and keep their hopes alive.
Yet the Highrisers were determined to show that in the knockout stages, they can deliver the decisive punch.
Galeries Tower saved two more Capital1 set points, while the Solar Spikers survived one match point, tying the game one last time at 28.
Then Asis denied Belen at the net, and Gayle Pascual followed with a combination play that sealed the Highrisers’ victory in one hour and 35 minutes.
Julia Coronel masterfully orchestrated Galeries’ offense with 22 excellent sets, helping four players reach double digits. Asis led the way with 17 points on 12 attacks, three blocks, and two aces.
Pascual added 14 points, while Aiza Pontillas contributed 12 points and nine digs. Roselle Baliton also reached double figures with 11 points, including four blocks.
(C) PVL Images
Balance, however, could not be said for the Solar Spikers.
Belen carried the load with 21 points on 20-of-71 spikes, adding 12 digs and nine receptions on defense.
Capital1’s next highest scorer was Cherry Nunag with seven points, followed by Leila Cruz and Shaya Adorador with five points each.
