Chery Tiggo shook off a rocky start and bucked the sidelining of top hitter Eya Laure late in the third set, securing a hard-fought 23-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-20 victory over Nxled and wrapping up a stirring run into the Holy Week break in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig Tuesday.
Despite an initial stumble, the Crossovers showcased their depth with Mylene Paat, Laure and Cess Robles delivering double-digit outputs, highlighting their balanced offensive approach. But they still needed to deploy various strategies to overcome the determined Chameleons side.
The victory was Chery Tiggo’s third straight following a shock shutout loss to Farm Fresh, igniting its big surge with a straight-set win over Creamline and a five-set escape against Petro Gazz.
The Crossovers thus tied the Angels at 5-2, setting the stage for an intense semifinal race, with Creamline, Choco Mucho, PLDT and Cignal all in contention, when action resumes on April 2, also at the Pasig arena.
“Nag-respond sila at happy kami kasi lumabas kahit papaano yung mga ine-ensayo namin although hindi naman lahat nandoon,” said Chery Tiggo coach Kungfu Reyes.
Despite the absence of Laure, who was sidelined after a challenging dive late in the third set after scoring 12 points, Chery Tiggo found contributions from other players.
Paat finished with 15 points, Robles scored 11 markers, Aby Maraño shone with nine points, Pauline Gaston added eight points in the last two sets, and Shaya Adorador and Cza Carandang chipped in five points apiece.
The victory likewise spoiled Ivy Lacsina’s conference-high 20-point output, while Lycha Ebon scored 14 points before cramping out in the fourth. Camille Victoria and Jho Maraguinot finished with 12 and 11 points, respectively, for Nxled, which slipped to 1-5.
Lacsina banged in back-to-back hits to shove the Chameleons to a 10-9 lead in the fourth set. But Chery Tiggo pounced on three consecutive miscues from Nxled, including a passing error, to regain control of the match.
From there, they thwarted every Nxled attempt to mount a comeback, eventually clinching the two-hour, 11-minute victory on an EJ Laure blast.
With Lacsina providing crisp, thundering hits and Victoria delivering smart drop shots, the Chameleons stunned the Crossovers in the opening set. They then battled their fancied rivals in a back-and-forth duel in the next with Ebon scoring on an ace to tie the count at 21.
But a Maraguinot attack error in the ensuing play shifted the momentum for the Crossovers with Paat capping her set-long brilliance with an off-the-block hit to level the match.
The left-handed seasoned campaigner, who also starred late in the team’s win over the Angels last Thursday, poured all her first seven points in the second frame, including back-to-back hits that put the Crossovers at set point, 24-21.
The Chameleons, however, saved two on a Maraguinot spike and a Victoria block on Paat, who, however, countered with an off-the-block hit on her second attempt.
