Chery Tiggo averted a huge meltdown, outlasting Black Mamba-Army in five sets, 25-15, 25-20, 20-25, 23-25, 15-12 in the classification phase of the 2022 Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, Sunday.
Despite the loss, Army-Black Mamba still remains on top of the 7th-9th classification phase table with four points. Chery Tiggo (2 pts) will face BaliPure (0) on Tuesday, 3:00 PM at the Filoil Flying V Centre. A straight or four-set win for the Crossovers will place them seventh in the nine-team competition.
Dindin Santiago-Manabat exploded for 32 points off 26 attacks, three blocks, and three aces along with 11 excellent receptions to lead the Crossovers’ fight back against a gritty Lady Troopers side.
After taking the first two sets with ease, Chery Tiggo looked lost in both the third and fourth sets. That allowed Army to force a winner-take-all fifth set.
It was a nip-and-tuck affair from there as both squads exchanged points until they reached 10-all.
Mylene Paat broke the deadlock with a kill, while Dindin Santiago-Manabat’s back-row attack stretched the lead to two points. Paat then rejected Royse Tubino’s tip to put Chery Tiggo at a 13-10 advantage.
Tubino delivered back-to-back hits off a timeout to slice the lead to one.
However, EJ Laure answered with a cross-court hit. Then a Maika Ortiz tip off an overpass from Jem Gutierrez sealed the win for the Crossovers.
Paat finished 22 points on 20 attacks and two blocks to go along with 20 excellent digs for Chery Tiggo.
Jasmine Nabor tossed 27 excellent sets laced with two points. Buding Duremdes tallied 24 excellent digs and 10 excellent receptions.
On the other hand, Tubino – who willed Army back in the match – dropped 25 points founded on 22 attacks and three aces.
Joanne Bunag added 11 points while Mich Morente had seven points and 25 excellent digs.
Ivy Perez had her best game so far in a Lady Troopers kit with 30 excellent sets along with four points. Meanwhile, Angela Nunag collected 25 excellent digs and 24 excellent receptions.
