FROM its pro league debut to an unprecedented ‘bubble’ setting, the 2021 Open Conference was one of many firsts for the Premier Volleyball League.
READ: Comeback queens Chery Tiggo stuns Creamline to capture PVL title
And by the end of a roughly one-month long pandemic tournament, it was the heralded Santiago twin towers and the Chery Tiggo Crossovers who came out on top.
On August 13, 2021, two years ago today, the Crossovers overcame an 0-1 deficit in the best-of-three finals to complete a stunning win over the three-peat seeking Creamline Cool Smashers.
Setting the (bubble) stage
There were many uncetainties in the local sporting scene at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
For the PVL, a spectator-less provincial bubble setup was the only way to go at the time.
Safe to say, it worked.
The PVL overcame extraordinary circumstances to hold a bubble conference in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, which also happened to be its first as a pro league.
Cream(line) of the crop
With three titles under its belt at the time, the dynastic Creamline side was touted to complete a rare grand slam feat in the Ilocos Norte bubble.
Led by stars Alyssa Valdez, Jia De Guzman, Tots Carlos, and Jema Galanza with Tai Bundit at the helm, the Cool Smashers asserted their mastery of the field early on en route to an 8-1 prelims record.
They also went on to sweep the Petro Gazz Angels in the best-of-three semis to book its ticket to the championship series.
But come the title bout, the team that erased Creamline’s 25-game win streak in the prelims, one that dated back to August 11, 2019, had other plans.
Chery on top
Chery Tiggo played spoiler to what once seemed as an inevitable Creamline prelims sweep.
Little did they know at the time that they would also end up crashing a potential maiden PVL grand slam.
Out for its first-ever club championship, the second-seeded Crossovers left a strong statement of intent in Game 1 of the finals despite losing in five sets.
De Guzman’s 41 excellent sets paved the way for a string of top-notch scoring outings from Carlos (26), Valdez (21), and Galanza (17), steering Creamline to the cusp of another title.
The Santiago sisters, however, bounced back in Game 2 as conference MVP Jaja and Dindin combined for 43 huge points to force a title decider.
The Crossovers then drove past each and every roadblock en route to a sensational five-set fightback for their first-ever PVL championship.
Dindin’s 32 and Jaja’s 26 points ultimately led Chery Tiggo to the unrivaled distinction of becoming the country’s maiden pro volleyball club champion.
“There's nothing impossible with God, we just have to trust ourselves, trust one another and trust God,” said Chery Tiggo tactician Aaron Velez.
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