CHERY Tiggo’s five-set championship defeat and PVL Invitational-opening sweep loss to PLDT humbled head coach Norman Miguel and the rest of the preseason silver medalists.
As such, it needed a huge rebound win against all odds in the face of a mighty Creamline side.
And so it did.
READ: Gritty Chery Tiggo survives Creamline in thrilling five-setter
The Crossovers were able to pivot from an ‘embarrassing’ stretch by knocking the Cool Smashers out in five sets, 25-20, 24-26, 21-25, 25-17, 17-15.
Miguel didn’t just look for a win. It sought for pride.
“Big win ito kasi talagang big loss naman kami nung isang araw. Talagang wala kaming choice kundi i-redeem namin yung sarili namin," he said.
“Yun naman talaga yung napag-usapan namin na sana pag-apak namin sa court ngayon, maglalaro kami ng may pride, hindi naman yung nakakahiyang game kasi para sa amin talaga, nakakahiya talaga yung nangyari nung game na yun nung Thursday.
“We were humbled also nung game na yun.”
Not only were they able to take off the humiliating pain from their chests, but they were also successful in conquering arguably the scariest entity to take on in the league.
“Ngayong nakabawi kami, although talagang mahirap, I commend naman talaga yung performance ng Creamline,” Miguel said.
“From the start naman, Creamline is Creamline, ‘di ba? Kahit anong gawin mo diyan, the name itself, talagang matatakot ka na talaga.
“Talagang mahirap yung pagkapanalo ngayon pero the sweetest victory yung nararamdaman namin ngayon.”
Clearing their last two tests against ZUS Coffee and Japan's Kobe Shinwa University will hand them a second shot in two weeks to win their second PVL championship.
"Hindi ko pa masabi yung biggest breakthrough. Inconsistent pa rin talaga eh. Playing in the finals, it was such a big bonus para sa amin kasi talagang although nag-prepare naman kami para sa On Tour," said the Chery Tiggo mentor.
"Naging bumpy din yung elims namin. Ilang losses din kami du'n, then pagpasok namin sa knockouts to the quarterfinals to semis, yun na yung sinasabi ko lagi na big bonus na talaga sa amin yun."
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