Chery Tiggo kicked off its new era under head coach Norman Miguel in thrilling fashion, battling through a five-set thriller to edge Capital1, 20-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-18, 15-11, in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena on Tuesday evening.
With the match hanging in the balance, the Crossovers delivered a stunning comeback in the final set, but Chery Tiggo’s unrelenting attack and poise ultimately clinched the win in a dramatic two-hour and 43-minute clash.
“Kapag sa training naman, lagi namin sila nireremind na idevelop yung character at maturity so nung umabot na kami ng fifth set, that’s it sabi namin hindi na ito about skills, lalaban tayo nito character na ang ilalabas niyo dito ayun nag translate naman,” said Miguel, who earned his first professional win.
Seth Rodriguez and Dapol provided the spark off the bench for the Crossovers in the fourth set, allowing them to force a decider.
Galang, Cess Robles, and Shaya Adorador stepped up in the absence of Laure, along with her sister EJ and libero Buding Duremdes, to help the Crossovers begin their campaign strongly.
Galang scored 23 points on 18 attacks, four blocks, and an ace, while Robles delivered 12 points and 27 excellent digs.
Adorador added 11 points in three sets of play, while Dapol contributed eight points in just three frames as well.
Chery Tiggo, along with Capital1, will have an eight-day break before returning to action on November 21 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
The Crossovers will open the matchday at 4 p.m. against the Cignal HD Spikers, while the Solar Spikers battle the Choco Mucho Flying Titans at 6:30 p.m.
Cruz, the second overall pick in the inaugural draft, posted a career-high 20 points on 14 attacks, five blocks, and an ace, while also tallying 16 digs for Capital1.
Patty Orendain added 14 points, while Guino-o chipped in 12 points in limited action off the bench.
