Chery Tiggo is back in the PVL semifinals — and they did it without relying on a single star to carry the load.
From the start of the 2025 PVL On Tour, head coach Norman Miguel already knew his roster didn’t have a clear-cut go-to scorer. Instead of forcing the issue, he built a system anchored on balance, trust, and shared responsibility.
“You know why? Kasi ito lang yung bagay na meron kami. Ito lang yung bagay na kontrolado namin,” he said. “Wala kaming ilang spikers na nasa Alas, na naglalaro sa kabila. Ito na kami eh. Kung meron man, si Jen Nierva.”
Rather than chasing something they didn’t have, Miguel doubled down on maximizing what was available.
“Bakit ko naman papasakitin yung ulo ko na mag-aspire na meron kaming ganun kung wala naman?” he said. “Kung ano lang yung meron kami, kung ito lang yung resources namin, ito yung pagtatrabahuan namin. That’s why gusto ko silang maging lowkey lang. Yun yung principle ko behind that.”
That approach has paid off handsomely. Throughout the conference, different Crossovers have stepped up at different moments, making them unpredictable and difficult to defend.
Against Nxled in the quarterfinals, that depth was once again on full display.
Chery Tiggo wasted no time dispatching the Chameleons, cruising to a 25-17, 25-15, 25-20 sweep to book their first semifinals appearance since the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference. At the heart of the win was a relentless attacking game that kept Nxled on its heels all night.
(C) PVL Images
Four Crossovers — Cess Robles, Ara Galang, Renee Peñafiel, and Imee Hernandez — scored in double figures, leading a decisive 50-33 advantage in attacks that proved to be the difference. While all other statistical categories were tightly contested, Chery Tiggo’s offensive firepower was simply too much to handle.
Robles led the way with 12 points, while Galang and Peñafiel chipped in 11 apiece. Hernandez added 10 markers, providing steady support to maintain control in every set.
Galang also shone on defense with eight excellent digs.
“Yun yung laging nire-remind kasi that’s character-building eh. Yun yung kailangan talaga namin, especially nabanggit niyo nga na wala kaming go-to guy at talagang fairly distributed yung bola,” said Miguel, now in his second conference with the squad.
“Sa ensayo naman kasi, kapag kunyari di ka nag-ensayo, the following day, hindi ka pa ready. Kung sino nag-replace sa’yo, nagkakaroon ng competition pero healthily.”
The Crossovers will face Cignal in the semifinals on Tuesday at 4:00 PM at the Smart Araneta Coliseum — and they were the only team to beat the HD Spikers in the group stage. That result could give them a valuable confidence boost heading into their semifinal clash.
