Dasmariñas, Cavite – Leaning on playoff poise and veteran grit, Chery Tiggo overcame a gutsy Galeries Tower challenge in straight sets, 25–23, 25–22, 25–21, to punch its ticket to the PVL On Tour quarterfinals Saturday, August 2, at the Dasmariñas Arena.

Bouncing back from a painful five-set collapse against ZUS Coffee that forced them into a must-win scenario, the Crossovers proved they weren’t done yet — and showed they still know how to finish.

Facing a youthful, relentless Highrisers squad, Chery Tiggo dug deep in each frame, closing strong behind seasoned decision-making and timely execution. The result: a one-hour, 34-minute victory that sent them to the Last 8, joining PLDT, Cignal, Creamline, Nxled, and Farm Fresh in the quarterfinals of this preseason tournament organized by Sports Vision.

Ara Galang earned Best Player of the Game honors with an 11-point, 11-dig outing, providing stability at both ends of the court when the Crossovers needed it most.

“Kahit na natalo kami last time, may pagkakataon pa rin kami. Kailangan naming magpatuloy,” Galang said. “Sinuwerte lang kami. Pareho kaming nagpukpukan, pero mas nagtrabaho kami.”

Experience wins the day

Galeries Tower outgunned Chery Tiggo in attacks (45–37) and edged them in aces (4–3), but it was the 29 unforced errors by the Highrisers — more than double Chery Tiggo’s 14 — that proved costly in an otherwise competitive affair.

Cess Robles top-scored for Chery Tiggo with 13 points and added nine digs and five receptions. Imee Hernandez chipped in seven points, while Aby Maraño added five in a steady support role.

For Galeries Tower, rookie Jean Asis and Jewel Encarnacion tallied 13 points apiece, with Ysa Jimenez and France Ronquillo scoring eight each. Despite stretches of brilliance, the Highrisers fell short in the clutch against the more seasoned Crossovers.

Set-by-set: Highrisers show fight, Crossovers show finish

The Highrisers nearly stole the opening frame, rallying from a 14–19 deficit to come within one at 20–21, behind Asis’ aggressive attacking. They saved two set points and forced a video challenge on the final rally, but Robles broke through for the winner to give Chery Tiggo the edge.

Galeries Tower came out stronger in Set 2, surging ahead 18–16 on quick plays by Fhen Emnas, Encarnacion, and Winnie Bedana. But the Crossovers responded with a 9–2 run, capitalizing on Highrisers errors and closing with steely focus.

The third set saw Galeries Tower erase a 2–7 deficit and even lead 16–14. But once again, Galang and Robles stepped up when it mattered most. Galang scored four points in a pivotal six-point stretch, then Robles delivered the last two blows, sealing the match with a clean block-touch call after her earlier error kept Galeries Tower briefly alive.

What’s next

Chery Tiggo advances to the quarterfinals still licking the wounds of their ZUS Coffee loss but now showing signs of cohesion and control. Meanwhile, Galeries Tower bows out after a winless campaign — managing to win just one set across six matches but earning respect for their scrappy play and fearless energy, even without Julia Coronel.