TWO years and four conferences later, Galeries Tower is now a PVL playoff team.
The Highrisers cut Cignal down to size in the season’s biggest upset yet, 25-17, 25-22, 19-25, 25-19, in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference qualifying round on Thursday at the Philsports Arena.
READ; Eroa's run with Galeries a testament to persistence paying off
The 10-seed Highrisers outpaced the undermanned HD Spikers as they completed an unlikely ascent from the draft lottery last year to an outright quarterfinals ticket this time against either Farm Fresh or Akari.
This also becomes Galeries Tower’s first-ever win over Cignal following four previous losses to guarantee their best PVL finish after never breaking into the top 10 in the franchise’s first three conferences.
It is a win that won't be sinking in just yet anytime soon for an equally surprised Highrisers head coach Lerma Giron, who just came from a grueling five-set win with University of Santo Tomas where she and Cignal mentor Shaq delos Santos are deputies.
"Floating in heaven. Very grateful. Worth it lahat ng aming mga luha, dugo, at pawis kasi grabe 'yung pinagdaanan namin before 'tong game na 'to," Giron said.
"Nag-start 'to nu'ng January, puro talo, talo, talo. We came into realization na 'teka, 'di pwede 'tong ganito' pero proseso talaga lahat. Pinag-aralan din talaga namin 'yung galaw ng Cignal kaya ayun, thank You Lord, all glory to God."
In only their fourth loss this conference, a shell-shocked Cignal became the first entrant to the inaugural play-in tournament in Pool A along with the losing teams in the Farm Fresh-Akari and Petro Gazz-Capital1 qualifying round matchups.
Adding insult to Cignal’s injury woes — being down another player as winger Jov Fernandez was stretchered off the court in Set 2 with a neck brace on after
Ysa Jimenez took over for the Highrisers with 23 points on 22 attacks and one block as winger France Ronquillo had a 20-point, 13-dig double-double.
Pacing such a seismic upset were Vanie Gandler with 17 points and a triple-double from rookie Ishie Lalongisip with 13 points, 12 digs and 11 receptions.
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