UNDEFEATED Chery Tiggo moved a win away from securing a semifinal berth in the 2022 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference after outlasting Choco Mucho, 29-27, 18-25, 25-16, 25-20, on Tuesday at the PhilSports Arena.
Team captain Mylene Paat anchored the Crossovers to the top of the standings once again at 4-0 with 25 points on 21 attacks, two blocks and two aces.
EJ Laure added 15 points while Montenegrin reinforcement Jelena Cvijovic came two digs short of a triple double with her 10 points, 21 receptions and eight digs.
The Crossovers squandered a six-point lead in the opening set but recovered just in time to win the extended set, 29-27. But Choco Mucho was quick to bounce back and equalize the match.
"Maganda sana 'yung pang-umpisa namin, pero noong bandang gitna, medyo nawala kami kasi gumanda rin 'yung galaw ng kabila," Chery Tiggo coach Clarence Esteban said.
"Pero kahit papaano, 'yung composure ng team namin is hindi nawala. So, 'yung pagkapit at the end, hanggang doon sa dulo, andoon sila na gustong manalo talaga."
Odina Aliyeva's triple-double of 21 points, 11 receptions and 10 digs wasn't enough to push the match to a decider, as Cza Carandang unload four straight points in a 6-0 run that put Chery Tiggo in command, 19-16, in the fourth set.
"Si Ate My po, sabi niya kanina, kapitan natin. Hindi naman natatapos sa 16 'yung volleyball eh. Paulit-ulit lang namin sinasabi 'yun kanina," Carandang said after the Crossovers overcame a 13-16 deficit in the fourth.
Chery Tiggo never looked back and sealed the match with a Paat-Baliton block on the Uzbekistani-Azerbaijani import.
Kat Tolentino scored 15 points as the Flying Titans dropped to 2-2.
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