The Solar Spikers' victory thus kept their quarterfinal hopes alive in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference.
Tushova, the Russian powerhouse, narrowly missed the 50-point mark, but her 49-point explosion was more than enough to power the overachieving Solar Spikers to a reverse sweep, securing their fourth win against two losses.
Despite the personal accolades, Tushova remained focused on the team's success rather than her individual achievements.
“All that I want is more victories for my team. I don’t care about my numbers,” said Tushova, downplaying her impressive performance.
After struggling in the first two sets, Tushova ignited the Solar Spikers' resurgence in the third frame, leading them to a dominant win. Capital1 then maintained its momentum, decisively winning the fourth set, before Tushova turned the fifth set into her personal showcase.
Tushova matched her previous career-high of 45 points, achieved earlier this month against Choco Mucho, by blocking Chiara Permentilla and giving Capital1 an 8-3 lead at the last technical timeout.
However, she wasn’t content with just tying her record. A powerful baseline hit pushed the score to 11-5, and back-to-back kills from the back row secured the victory for the Solar Spikers.
The two-hour, ten-minute battle solidified Capital1's position at No. 6, well within the Top 8 needed to advance to the knockout phase.
Meanwhile, Nxled’s chances for the quarterfinals dimmed as it fell to a 1-5 record.
Supporting Tushova's efforts, Julia Ipac and Iris Tolenada each contributed seven points, while Patty Orendain added six. Jorelle Singh and Des Clemente chipped in with five points apiece.
Tolenada finished with 17 excellent sets
The Solar Spikers ultimately dominated the spiking duel, outscoring Nxled 72-56, despite their shaky start and errors that gave away 25 points compared to the Chameleons' 19.
For Nxled, Jho Maraguinot led with 19 points, while Permentilla and Meegan Hart added 15 and 13 points, respectively. The Chameleons’ strong start gave them hope, but they were unable to withstand the relentless surge from Capital1 and Tushova’s unstoppable performance, including 14 excellent receptions.
