Drawing strength from her teammates, Yunieska Batista delivered her conference-best performance to boost Chery Tiggo’s bid for a quarterfinal spot in the 2025 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference.
The Cuban-Kazakh winger tallied 41 points—40 from attacks—as she propelled the Crossovers to a crucial 27-25, 23-25, 25-12, 22-25, 15-13 victory over Capital1 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre on Tuesday.
Batista credited her teammates for her standout performance, saying their support gave her the confidence to stay calm and execute under pressure — especially in the tense fifth set, where she scored eight decisive points to seal the win.
“I think in this, in the fifth set, I have a lot of support from the team,” she said.
“I have a lot of support from Jen (Nierva). She told me, ‘Go out, I will come and catch the ball.’ I have support from our setter (Alina Bicar). So, she’s still calm. So, this is a team victory. Team victory,” she added.
Beyond the fifth set, Batista also highlighted the mindset and professionalism that drive her and the team throughout the conference despite a rocky start.
(C) PVL Images
“I always want to win. I say that every time. So, we go step by step. We go slowly now. We go home, we rest. We have the coaches, we have the statistic man, we have good preparing. So, we do what they say to us,” Batista said.
“It’s simple. We make our job and they make their job. So, I trust the coaches, I trust them, everyone. So, this is what we do. Step by step. And focus now on the rest and then in the next game,” she added.
With a 2-4 record, the Crossovers remain alive in the race for the last five quarterfinal slots.
Looking ahead, Batista stressed the importance of taking things one step at a time, focusing on recovery and preparation for the next challenge against quarterfinal-bound PLDT and Farm Fresh.
“I always want to win. I say that every time. So, we go step by step. We go slowly now. We go home, we rest. We have the coaches, we have the statistic man, we have good [preparation]. So, we do what they say to us,” she said.
“It’s simple. We make our job and they make their job. So, I trust the coaches, I trust them, everyone. So, this is what we do. Step by step. And focus now on the rest and then in the next game.”
