Its composure and character pushed to the limit, Chery Tiggo leaned on its experience and poise to fend off a spirited Galeries Tower challenge, eking out a 25-23, 25-22, 25-21 victory to punch its ticket to the quarterfinals of the PVL On Tour knockout round at the Dasmariñas Arena in Cavite on Saturday.
Reeling from a stinging five-set meltdown against ZUS Coffee that denied them an outright quarterfinal slot, the Crossovers came into the must-win duel with something to prove – and proved just enough.
But when it mattered most, Chery Tiggo dug deep, showing the grit and maturity honed from years of playoff battles. Veteran leadership, timely plays and an unshakable belief in their system enabled them to close each set with precision, holding off a team that made them earn every point.
The Crossovers had to endure the Highrisers’ spirited stand in the last two sets – rallying from behind in the second and regrouping after squandering an early lead in the third. On both occasions, however, the Highrisers faltered under the Crossovers’ relentless endgame pressure, undone by untimely miscues and mishits.
With the hard-fought one-hour, 34-minute victory, Chery Tiggo advanced to the Last 8, joining PLDT, Nxled, Cignal, and Creamline – teams that had secured outright quarterfinal berths – along with Farm Fresh, which earlier eliminated Capital1 at the start of the sudden-death knockout phase that will run through the finals.
“Hindi pa naman tapos ang laban. Kahit na natalo kami last time, may pagkakataon pa rin kami at kailangan naming magpatuloy,” said Ara Galang, who delivered a superb all-around performance of 11 points and 11 excellent digs to earn Best Player of the Game honors.
Reflecting on their gritty escape against the young and aggressive Highrisers, Galang added: “Sinuwerte lang kami. Pareho kaming nagpukpukan, pero mas nagtrabaho kami.”
In a rare outcome where a team dominated offensively but still came up short, Galeries Tower outgunned Chery Tiggo in attacks, 45-37, and also had the edge in aces, 4-3. However, the Highrisers undermined their own effort by yielding a whopping 29 unforced errors, handing Chery Tiggo the opening it needed to carve out the win.
In contrast, the Crossovers played with remarkable control, committing just 14 errors throughout the match.
Cess Robles led Chery Tiggo with 13 points while also delivering on defense with nine excellent digs and five receptions. Imee Hernandez contributed seven points, and veteran Aby Maraño chipped in five.
On the other side, rookie Jean Asis stood out for Galeries Tower with 13 points, matching Jewel Encarnacion’s output. Ysa Jimenez and France Ronquillo added eight markers each, but the Highrisers struggled to sustain their momentum in the crucial stretches, allowing the Crossovers to pull away and seal the victory.
The Highrisers opened the second set determined to shake off their late-first set meltdown, dictating the tempo with Fhen Emnas orchestrating plays to near-perfection. She kept the Chery Tiggo defense guessing, feeding Encarnacion and Ronquillo on opposite flanks while also setting up Asis for key hits.
Encarnacion’s spike gave them a 17-14 cushion, and rookie Winnie Bedana’s quick attack made it 18-16, keeping the Highrisers afloat.
But the Crossovers were simply biding their time – and when they struck, they did so with purpose. Unleashing a telling 9-2 run, they turned the tables on the Highrisers, closing out the set and seizing a commanding 2-0 lead.
Galeries Tower actually outgunned Chery Tiggo in attacks, 19-12, but faltered with nine unforced errors that the Crossovers converted into momentum-shifting points. Chery Tiggo also took control at the net, recording four blocks while giving away just two free points.
In Set 3, Galeries Tower battled back from an early 2-7 deficit to seize a 16-14 advantage. But Galang and Robles teamed up in a fiery Chery Tiggo finishing kick, with Galang scoring four of the team’s next six points to push the Crossovers ahead, 21-17.
Robles then shut the door on the Highrisers’ comeback hopes, delivering the final two points – the last off a block touch that nullified her earlier attack error which had momentarily kept Galeries Tower alive.
The Highrisers, playing without Alas Pilipinas mainstay Julia Coronel, dropped all six of their preliminary round matches, managing to win just a single set.
The Crossovers stormed ahead with a balanced offensive flow and rock-solid floor coverage in the opening frame, racing to a 19-14 lead. But the Highrisers, eager to defy expectations, refused to fade quietly.
Asis, fearless and relentless, anchored Galeries Tower’s surprise surge, uncorking a barrage of running attacks that left the Chery Tiggo defense scrambling. The underdogs clawed back to within one, 20-21, injecting tension and uncertainty into what had seemed like a routine set.
Chery Tiggo, however, would not flinch. Though the Highrisers saved two set points and even forced a video challenge on the final rally, Robles delivered under pressure, blasting a hit through two defenders to wrap up the set – and with it, restored momentum for the Crossovers.
