Unfazed by the star power of their opponents, Roselle Baliton delivered her best performance of the tournament to lead Galeries Tower’s dramatic upset of Nxled in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
Baliton orchestrated a block party Thursday night, anchoring the Highrisers to a stunning 25-19, 17-25, 25-20, 25-21 victory over the Chameleons, bringing Galeries Tower one win closer to tying their best franchise record in the elimination round.
“Ika nga, bilog ang bola, so ayun, laban lang,” said the 6-foot middle blocker after the win.
She finished with seven attacks, seven kill blocks, and two aces in the one-hour, 53-minute match that evened the Highrisers’ record at 2-2, though she credited the victory to the team’s collective effort.
“Ang ano naman, kumbaga team effort siya. So, doon kami nagtindig na namin na kung ano talaga yung kayang ibigay ng team na kapag nagtulong-tulong, nagsasabay-sabay na mga lumalagas talaga na kaya naman talaga,” said Baliton.
(C) PVL Images
It was a special night for Baliton, who had been with the team for nearly two years and had endured a string of tough losses, making the upset over Nxled even more meaningful.
While the win doesn’t guarantee anything, Baliton hopes it can serve as a stepping stone for the squad to build a winning culture and gain confidence for the rest of the conference.
“Sobrang ano, sobrang nakakataba ng puso. Kumbaga, ang dami ng pinagdaanan ng team and kumbaga, start din ‘to ng magkaroon ng winning culture ‘yung team kasi nga for the longest time, maraming napagdaanan ‘yung team,” she said.
“So kumbaga napapatunayan din namin na kung ano ‘yung pinapakita namin sa training, lumalabas din.”
She also expressed pride in seeing the team’s hard work pay off and hopes to carry the momentum into upcoming games.
“Kumbaga, talagang bini-build namin ‘yun paunti-unti sa training, nagsa-start sa training. ‘Yun din, most of our teammates bago na, lahat ng coaches, ganun din,” said the University of the East product.
“Nag-stick lang din kami [sa system] or kung nawawala ‘man, bumabalik lang din kami dun sa kung ano ‘yung mga tinuturo sa training po.”
#WATCH: BILOG ANG BOLA 🏐
Roselle Baliton says it took team effort from Galeries Tower to take down Nxled in a massive #PVL2026 stunner#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/AaGQ0d7KvN
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/b3At954ECg
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) February 19, 2026
