CEBU – Galeries Tower ended a four-game losing streak in style, securing its first win in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference with a sweep over Capital1, 26-24, 25-14, 25-23, at the Minglanilla Sports Complex here on Saturday night.
The Highrisers showed resilience in the opening set, capitalizing on miscues and key challenges to edge the Solar Spikers in a thrilling finish. With momentum on their side, they dismantled their rivals in the second frame and fended off a late push in the third to seal the rare three-set victory.
The change of venue seemed to work wonders for Galeries Tower, whose one-hour, 41-minute triumph propelled them to a 1-4 record, tying their vanquished foes for 10th place. Both teams now sit just above the Nxled Chameleons, now the lone winless squad with a 0-5 slate after falling to the undefeated Cignal HD Spikers earlier in the day.
Riding the momentum of a dominant second set, the Highrisers fended off a late rally from the Solar Spikers in the third. With Capital1 threatening at 23-24, thanks to a Leila Cruz kill and a Heather Guino-o ace, France Ronquillo stepped up, powering through two blockers to deliver the match-clinching point.
Despite the tense finish, the Highrisers remained composed in the crucial moments, with Julia Coronel setting up Ronquillo for the decisive kill, finally quenching the team’s thirst for their elusive first win.
Coronel orchestrated Galeries Tower’s offense masterfully, delivering 10 excellent sets while involving all her hitters with precision playmaking. Her consecutive aces in the second set proved pivotal in the team’s dominant display.
"The game plan was to put everything we’ve practiced into action. We’ve been working hard, and we can see that our team is already at a competitive level. We just needed to find a way to close it out," said Coronel in Filipino, who also contributed nine points in the match, highlighted by five aces.
"Finally, this is such a special moment for us, as it’s our very first win of the conference. We’re really hoping this is just the start of many, many more victories," she added.
Jewel Encarnacion top-scored with 11 points while drawing solid support from Ysa Jimenez and Andrea Marzan, who contributed 10 markers apiece, while Ronquillo matched Coronel’s output to underscore the team’s balanced offensive sock.
Leila Cruz scored 14 points while Jorelle Singh and Guino-o added 10 and five markers, respectively, for the Solar Spikers.
The hard-fought opening set featured a dramatic finish as Galeries Tower kept its composure and won key challenges, including a decisive block touch call that ignited the Highrisers’ bench and fans but left Capital1 and their coach, Roger Gorayeb, visibly frustrated.
The Highrisers dominated in all key scoring categories, outhitting the Solar Spikers in spikes (37-31), blocks (9-5), and aces (7-6). They also capitalized on 23 free points from Capital1's miscues, while committing 19 unforced errors themselves.
The victory also injected much-needed confidence into Galeries Tower as the Highrisers prepare for a tougher challenge next Saturday against the Chery Tiggo Crossovers.
