Chery Tiggo went the full route before dispatching Galeries Tower, 26-24, 23-25, 19-25, 25-12, 15-9, to earn a ticket to the semifinals of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference on April 25, 2024 at the Philsports Arena.
The Crossovers trailed 2-1 but convincingly won the fourth set to gain enough momentum to carry them through in the fifth and final set. The victory also shut the door on the PLDT High Speed Hitters, who were still hoping to make it to the next round.
The win granted Chery Tiggo a total of two points, lofting their total to 25, thanks to a 9-2 record after the elimination round. The win also allowed Chery Tiggo to level the Choco Mucho at the top, with Petro Gazz and Creamline completing the semis cast.
Despite PLDT’s aspiration for a Galeries Tower victory in four sets, the High Speed Hitters required a sweep against the Creamline Cool Smashers later in the evening to snatch the fourth and last spot in the semis.
Additionally, the victory was Chery Tiggo’s seventh straight, including morale-boosting victories over the league’s top teams, giving the Crossovers the needed confidence and momentum heading into the demanding semifinals next week.
All four teams will start from scratch and play a single-round semis with the top two teams to decide the hotly contested championship.
It was a collective effort that led to Chery Tiggo’s victory. Eya Laure led the charge with an impressive 20 points, backed up by Ara Galang with 13 markers. Mylene Paat, Cess Robles, Cza Carandang and Aby Maraño each contributed their respective seven points, showcasing the team’s cohesion. / JNP