Chery Tiggo is heading to the semifinals after winning two sets in its all-important match against also-ran Galeries Tower in the penultimate day of the 2024 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference elimination round, Thursday afternoon.
The Crossovers escaped the extended opening frame, 26-24, before bouncing back in the fourth after losing the last two, scoring a 25-12 win to force a deciding fifth set.
Chery Tiggo eventually secured the hard-fought victory in five sets, 26-24, 23-25, 19-25, 25-12, 15-9, at the Philsports Arena to end the elimination round with a 9-2 record.
The Crossovers ended the elimination round with 25 points thanks to the five-set win, while the High Speed Hitters, who currently have 20 points, could only reach as high as 23 points – eliminating them from contention.
Chery Tiggo joins Choco Mucho, Petro Gazz, and defending champion Creamline in the round-robin semifinals.
“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 Crossovers head coach Kungfu Reyes.
“Luckily may nag-step up. Unstable yung galaw ng wing spikers namin. Yung respeto na binigay namin sa Galeries, talagang binigay namin. Talagang nag-prepare kami para rito,” he added.
Eya Laure delivered a game-high 20 points on 15 attacks and five blocks to go along with 18 excellent receptions and 11 excellent digs to help Chery Tiggo recover from a 1-2 disadvantage and get the win after two hours and 34 minutes of play.
Ara Galang chipped in 13 points, including 12 attacks, while Mylene Paat added nine markers. Aby Marano, Cza Carandang, and Cess Robles also contributed to the win, scoring seven points each for the Crossovers.
Alina Bicar steered the offense with 16 excellent sets to go along with four points while Jennifer Nierva registered 11 excellent digs.
Meanwhile, France Ronqullio led the way for the Highrisers with 15 points on 12 attacks, two aces, and one block to go along with 11 excellent receptions while Andrea Marzan and Julia Ipac had 11 and 10 points, respectively, in the loss as Galeries finished the eliminations with a 3-8 record.
The All-Filipino Conference semifinals will begin on Tuesday at the same venue.
