MONTALBAN, Rizal — Chery Tiggo completed a five-set win over Akari, 24-26, 25-19, 25-16, 23-25, 15-10, to stay spotless two games into the 2025 PVL on Tour on Sunday at the Ynares Center II.
Baby Jyne Soreno fired the last two points, including a power hit and the match-clinching service ace, as Chery Tiggo completed a two-game sweep of the Montalban leg.
READ: Jyne Soreno excited to spread wings with Chery Tiggo
The Crossovers overcame a dismal 3-12 start by drawing level at 24-all, with the Chargers giving 12 free points away on unforced errors, 41 in total during the two-hour, 34-minute contest.
Akari didn’t let its early lead slip entirely as Ced Domingo and Grethcel Soltones scored back-to-back attacks to hold fort in the opener.
From there, the match took a turn through Chery Tiggo’s own one-two punch in Cess Robles and rookie winger Renee Peñafiel who combined for 35 points in the five-set win.
Robles also posted the third triple-double of the preseason tournament with 23 points, 15 digs and 10 receptions.
They were able to sustain a lead as high as seven throughout the third frame before pulling away with a nine-point set win for a 2-1 lead.
Come the fourth set, Akari was two points away from forcing sudden death up 23-18.
Robles & Co. mustered a quick four-point run to trim Chery Tiggo’s deficit to one, just before a pair of clutch hits from Soltones and Cams Victoria extended the match to five sets.
Akari had its one-two punch in Ivy Lacsina and Eli Soyud, with 18 and 17 markers each, pace a losing effort as they failed to pull off an encore of their five-set win over ZUS Coffee in its preseason opener on Saturday.
Next for the Chargers is a winless Capital1 side on July 15 at the Playtime Filoil Centre.
Drive to survive in five
It was a dream start, to say the least, for a Chery Tiggo team that waited roughly two weeks before making its PVL on Tour debut in Rizal.
"Masayang-masaya na wo games tapos two wins," said Crossovers head coach Norman Miguel.
"Kung kahapon, naging parang confidence booster yung pagkapanalo, all the more na itong pagkapanalo kasi malaking bagay sa'min to eh."
More than anything, Robles sees it as a character-building win with a tough stretch in two weeks time against Cignal (July 19) and Creamline (July 20) in Passi, Iloilo.
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