MANILA – Chery Tiggo Crossovers showcased its veteran experience and composure to defeat Farm Fresh Foxies, 25-21, 25-23, 25-22, in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ilongga Princess Robles came off the bench to fire 10 points, all but two she delivered in the Crossovers’ blistering run to tie the count at 18 in the third, as the Crossovers opened their campaign with a win.
“I just grabbed the opportunity na ibinigay sa kin. Tiwala din sa sarili at sa mga coaches,” said Robles, who was named Player of the Game. “Medyo may kulang pa sa communication but nakapag-adjust naman kami.”
Ejiya Laure topscored for Chery Tiggo with 14 points, her elder sister Ennajie came up with 13 points and Imee Hernandez finished with eight markers while Pauline Gaston and Ilongga Ma. Shaya Adorador chipped in four points apiece.
“Our first two sets were okay but I think we had a slow start in the third. But because of their (Crossovers) determination, naitawid namin ang panalo,” said Chery Tiggo coach Aaron Velez.
Trisha Tubu led the way for the Foxies with 15 points, Jade Gentapa chipped in 10 markers, Kate Santiago finished with nine markers, while Rizza Cruz and Sam Nolasco combined for 15 points.
Meanwhile, Akari Power Chargers flaunted its revamped roster as it scored a 21-25, 25-20, 27-25, 19-25, 15-8 upset victory over F2 Logistics Cargo Movers to open their campaign on a winning note.
Power Chargers head coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito was all praise for his rookies, Mereophe “Fifi” Sharma and Justine Jazareno, as they opened the season-ending conference campaign with a win.
“They are not only good players; they’re brave and train at 100 percent all the time, so they stay focused and always aim to improve. It’s a challenge for the coaches to provide something good for them because they always request more,” said the Brazilian coach.
Sharma finished with 13 points, including five blocks, and Jazareno collected 12 excellent receptions in the respective debut games for the Power Chargers, which ended in 10th place during the Invitational conference./PN
