PVL: Chery Tiggo survives Capital1 in thrilling five-set showdown

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Chery Tiggo EV hung on tight to edge the Capital1 Solar Spikers in five grueling sets, 27-25, 23-25, 25-12, 22-25, 15-13, in the ongoing Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference on Nov. 11, 2025, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

Steering Chery Tiggo’s victory wheel was import Yunieska Batista, who capped off the big-time win with a conference-high performance of 41 points built from 40 successful attacks.

The Cuban superstar flaunted her full offensive artillery in the first four sets but was able to top it off with an impressive scoring explosion in the deciding set.

Down 6-8 midway through the fifth frame, Batista took matters into her own hands after spearheading Chery Tiggo’s demoralizing 6-0 counterattack.

Chery Tiggo capitalized on Bella Belen’s back-to-back errors that equalized the finale at 8-all, then pounced on Capital1 to retake the driver’s seat, 12-8.

The Solar Spikers refused to give away the win as they pulled to within a point, 13-14, but Batista dropped the hammer with an off-the-block hit to help Chery Tiggo emerge victorious.

Both teams took turns in the first four sets as Capital1 always had answers whenever Chery Tiggo looked to pull away.

Chery Tiggo almost had Capital1 crashing when they finished the third set with a lopsided beating, but the Solar Spikers answered with a tight three-point dub in the following period that set up the exciting decider.

Belen and the rest of the Solar Spikers replicated their second-set performance with an efficient start in the fifth, but Batista saw enough, unleashing eight points in the extra period that rewarded Chery Tiggo with the much-needed win.

Aside from her incredible offensive clinic, Batista also handed Chery Tiggo eight excellent digs, including the two most crucial in the fifth set.

Ara Galang backstopped their Cuban reinforcement with 11 markers derived from nine successful attacks, while the duo of Mylene Paat and Renee Penafiel chipped in six points apiece.

With the win, Chery Tiggo just boosted its chances of entering the playoff round with a 2-4 win-loss record, while the Solar Spikers dropped to 3-3.