Chery Tiggo battled through a grueling four-set duel of power, grit and composure, overcoming a stubborn Farm Fresh side, 29-27, 15-25, 25-22, 25-21, to advance to the quarterfinals of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig on Tuesday.
It took the Crossovers two hours and seven minutes to subdue the tenacious Foxies, who made them work for every point. But Chery Tiggo’s experience and poise in crunch time ultimately spelled the difference, sealing a best-of-three quarterfinal clash with powerhouse defending champion Creamline.
Coming off a three-game sweep of Nxled last Thursday, Chery Tiggo emerged as Pool B’s top team in the Play-In phase of the six-month-long tournament organized by Sports Vision. Yet despite the achievement, veteran hitter Ara Galang remained grounded, emphasizing that the real work has just begun.
“We’re happy to have reached the quarterfinals, but it doesn’t end here. We still have to keep working harder to achieve more wins,” said Galang in Filipino, who dropped 20 points and earned the Best Player of the Game award.
The Crossovers showed steely resolve after absorbing a lopsided second-set loss, keeping their composure in the final two sets where they fended off multiple Farm Fresh uprisings to put the game away.
“Our mindset was clear – we couldn’t afford to lose,” added Galang. “Even after we dropped the second set, we knew we still had a chance, and we just needed to stay composed. Thankfully, we got it done.”
But against the Cool Smashers, the Crossovers know they will need more than grit and resolve. Galang stressed the importance of improving their chemistry and firepower if they hope to contain Creamline’s imposing frontline.
“We need to jell more and polish our game,” said Galang.
Chery Tiggo’s quarterfinal ticket, however, didn’t come easy. In the fourth set, the Crossovers trailed 12-14 after Farm Fresh’s Lorene Toring and Louie Romero connected on a series of well-executed plays.
But Chery Tiggo answered with back-to-back points off a Toring block and a Farm Fresh attack error to regain control.
Aby Maraño then rose to the occasion, rejecting Aly Bertolano’s hit to give the Crossovers the lead, 15-14, which they never relinquished. Though the Foxies forced two deadlocks, the Crossovers responded with a momentum-swinging three-point run capped by Galang’s block on Rachel Daquis.
Daquis managed to pull Farm Fresh within a point, 18-19, aided by a Cess Robles’ attack error, sparking hopes of forcing a deciding fifth set. But Robles quickly doused that rally, drilling a crosscourt hit and firing an ace before Seth Rodriguez hammered a quick attack to extend Chery Tiggo’s cushion to 22-19.
Shaya Adorador then took over down the stretch. After forcing a block touch to put Chery Tiggo at match point, she denied Trisha Tubu’s final attempt with a solo rejection and followed it up with an off-the-block kill against Farm Fresh’s top hitter to wrap up the set and the match, securing the Crossovers’ place in the next round.
Farm Fresh’s spirited effort fell short despite solid performances from Tubu, Toring, Daquis and Aly Bertolano. The Foxies made life difficult for the Crossovers but were ultimately outclassed in clutch situations.
Adorador helped spike Chery Tiggo’s charge with an 18-point explosion, while Robles provided ample support with 13 markers. Middle blockers Seth Rodriguez and Maraño also made their presence felt, chipping in seven and five points, respectively, as the Crossovers overcame a determined Farm Fresh side in a tightly-contested match.
The intense duel was reflected in the stats, with both teams finishing dead even in attack points at 61. However, Chery Tiggo made its mark at the net, outblocking Farm Fresh, 10-5, with Rodriguez and Maraño anchoring the Crossovers’ defensive wall. The Foxies, meanwhile, had the upper hand in service aces, firing six against the Crossovers’ four while also committing fewer unforced errors, 19-23.
Despite Farm Fresh’s balanced offense, highlighted by Mary Tubu’s 22-point eruption and identical 12-point contributions from Lorene Toring, Rizza Cruz, and Jolina Dela Cruz, the Foxies still fell short in critical stretches, allowing Chery Tiggo to capitalize and close out the match.
