Chery Tiggo overcomes Highrisers to clinch quarterfinal spot

Games on Tuesday (Philsports Arena)
4 p.m. – Petro Gazz vs. Akari
6:30 p.m. – ZUS Coffee vs. Choco Mucho

Chery Tiggo leaned on its experience and composure to overcome a determined Galeries Tower side, pulling off a 25-23, 25-22, 25-21 victory to secure a quarterfinal berth in the PVL On Tour knockout round Saturday at the Dasmariñas Arena in Cavite.

Still reeling from a five-set collapse to ZUS Coffee that cost them an outright quarterfinal spot, the Crossovers entered the must-win duel with something to prove — and proved just enough.

When it mattered most, Chery Tiggo dug deep, showcasing veteran poise, timely execution, and belief in its system to close each set under pressure.

The Crossovers endured a fierce stand by the Highrisers in the last two frames — rallying from behind in the second and regrouping after squandering an early lead in the third.

In both instances, Galeries Tower crumbled in the clutch, undone by costly errors and missed opportunities.

With the hard-earned, one-hour, 34-minute win, Chery Tiggo advanced to the Last 8, joining PLDT, Nxled, Cignal, Creamline, and Farm Fresh — which earlier eliminated Capital1 in the sudden-death phase set to 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 posted 11 points and 11 excellent digs to earn Best Player of the Game honors.

Reflecting on their escape from the young and aggressive Highrisers, she added: “Sinuwerte lang kami. Pareho kaming nagpukpukan, pero mas nagtrabaho kami.”

In a rare statistical twist, Galeries Tower outgunned Chery Tiggo in attacks, 45-37, and led in aces, 4-3, but their 29 unforced errors proved costly.

The Crossovers, by contrast, committed just 14 errors while playing with discipline and control.

Cess Robles paced Chery Tiggo with 13 points, nine excellent digs, and five receptions.

Imee Hernandez added seven points, while veteran Aby Maraño chipped in five.

Rookie Jean Asis led Galeries Tower with 13 points, matching Jewel Encarnacion’s output.

Ysa Jimenez and France Ronquillo contributed eight apiece, but the Highrisers failed to sustain their runs in key stretches.

The Highrisers opened the second set with renewed fire, dictating the pace behind Fhen Emnas’ smart playmaking.

She kept the Crossovers’ defense guessing, setting up Encarnacion and Ronquillo on the wings and connecting with Asis on quick hits.

Encarnacion’s spike gave them a 17-14 lead, and rookie Winnie Bedana followed with a quick attack for 18-16.

But Chery Tiggo struck with a 9-2 counterattack, flipping the script and grabbing a commanding 2-0 set lead.

Despite outscoring the Crossovers in attacks 19-12, the Highrisers committed nine errors in Set 2, which Chery Tiggo converted into momentum-shifting points.

The Crossovers also took control at the net with four blocks while yielding just two free points.

In Set 3, Galeries Tower recovered from an early 2-7 deficit to lead 16-14.

But Galang and Robles spearheaded a final surge, with Galang scoring four of Chery Tiggo’s next six points for a 21-17 edge.

Robles then sealed the deal with back-to-back points, including a block touch that erased her earlier miscue.

The Highrisers, playing without Alas Pilipinas standout Julia Coronel, lost all six of their preliminary round games and won only one set.

Chery Tiggo set the tone in the opening frame with balanced offense and solid floor defense, building a 19-14 cushion.

Yet the Highrisers, determined to pull off an upset, rallied behind the fearless Asis, who led a barrage of running attacks to trim the gap to 20-21.

Though Galeries Tower saved two set points and forced a video challenge on the final rally, Robles ended the set — and swung momentum back to the Crossovers — with a powerful hit through two blockers.