Chery Tiggo showed remarkable poise, mettle and staying power in outlasting a game but erratic Akari side still reeling from a punishing five-set grind the night before, hacking out a thrilling 24-26, 25-19, 25-16, 23-25, 15-10 victory in the PVL On Tour at the Ynares Center in Montalban, Rizal on Sunday.<\/p>\n
With fresher legs and a sharper mindset, the Crossovers clawed back from a set down, weathered an Akari fourth-set stand, then held sway in the decider with an explosive finishing kick. Chery Tiggo leaned not just on its seasoned hitters but also drew tremendous contributions from its promising rookies, completing a two-hour, 10-minute escape to stay unbeaten in the pre-season tournament organized by Sports Vision.<\/p>\n
Heavy-hitting Cess Robles turned in an MVP-worthy performance, firing a game-high 23 points built on 21 attacks and two blocks. She also shone on defense, collecting 15 excellent digs and 10 receptions in a dazzling all-around effort that lifted Chery Tiggo to a 2-0 slate behind Cignal\u2019s 3-0 card.<\/p>\n
But it was the Crossovers\u2019 heart, depth and hustle that ultimately made the difference \u2013 particularly from rookies Jyne Sore\u00f1o and Renee Penafiel, who played beyond their years in the clutch.<\/p>\n
Sore\u00f1o shrugged off a brief health scare in Set 3 and came back to finish strong, delivering the last two points, including a hammer from a reverse set and a match-clinching service ace that clipped the net and kissed the line.<\/p>\n
Pe\u00f1afiel likewise stepped up when it mattered most, contributing 12 points and eight receptions, including clutch hits that kept Chery Tiggo afloat during critical rotations when Robles and Sore\u00f1o were on the bench. Her composure and maturity in high-pressure moments helped turn the tide in favor of the Crossovers.<\/p>\n
The fifth set was a war of attrition, featuring five deadlocks, the last at 6, before Chery Tiggo uncorked a momentum-shifting 11-4 closing burst. Jasmine Nabor\u2019s smart 1-2 play broke the tie and sparked the run. An error from Akari\u2019s Eli Soyud gave the Crossovers a two-point cushion before Imee Hernandez extended the lead with a quick attack.<\/p>\n
After Ivy Lacsina momentarily stopped the bleeding with a joust win, Akari unraveled with three straight errors \u2013 a net violation followed by back-to-back attack miscues from Soyud and Lacsina \u2013 allowing Chery Tiggo to surge to a 13-9 lead.<\/p>\n
Though Kamille Cal managed to deny Robles at the net, Sore\u00f1o took charge from there, firing a massive kill and the final ace to seal the victory.<\/p>\n
The Crossovers\u2019 mental toughness and composure under pressure were on full display \u2013 traits that stood in contrast to Akari\u2019s disjointed, error-strewn outing. Despite leading in blocks (14-5) and matching Chery Tiggo nearly point for point in attacks (56-59), the Chargers\u2019 campaign was undone by a staggering 41 unforced errors \u2013 nearly double the Crossovers\u2019 21.<\/p>\n
Akari did show flashes of brilliance, particularly in the fourth set, where they erased a near-meltdown with clutch plays down the stretch. Camille Victoria\u2019s key block on Robles gave them a 23-18 cushion, but the Crossovers refused to fold.<\/p>\n
Pe\u00f1afiel keyed a four-point blitz, slicing the gap to one before Victoria struck again for set point. Robles was denied on the next play, but Grethcel Soltones came through with an off-the-block hit to send the match into a decider.<\/p>\n
Akari\u2019s offensive guns were led by Lacsina and Soyud with 18 and 17 points, respectively, while Ced Domingo added 12 markers. However, their late-game execution was marred by mental lapses and costly miscues, especially in the final frame, where they gifted the Crossovers crucial points at pivotal stretches.<\/p>\n
Soltones, coming off a 23-point explosion against ZUS Coffee, was limited to just seven points, while rookie Chenie Tagaod also chipped in seven. Ezra Madrigal and Victoria added six and five points, respectively, for Akari, which fell to 1-3.<\/p>\n
Despite the loss, the Chargers showed plenty of heart, gamely battling through fatigue and adversity after their grueling win over the Thunderbelles the previous night. But in the end, it was Chery Tiggo\u2019s deeper bench, steadier nerves and unwavering spunk that proved decisive.<\/p>\n
Coach Norman Miguel\u2019s confidence in his squad was evident during a timeout midway through Set 4 when he reminded his players: \u201cGuys, pagod na ang mga kalaban.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chery Tiggo showed remarkable poise, mettle and staying power in outlasting a game but erratic Akari side still reeling from a punishing five-set grind the night before, hacking out a thrilling 24-26, 25-19, 25-16, 23-25, 15-10 victory in the PVL On Tour at the Ynares Center in Montalban, Rizal on Sunday. With fresher legs and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[313],"class_list":["post-3365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-pvl-on-tour"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t