Chery Tiggo outfought Cignal in a high-stakes battle of previously unbeaten squads, carving out a decisive 25-13, 26-28, 25-15, 25-15 victory to secure solo leadership in Pool B of the 2025 PVL On Tour Saturday, July 19, night at the City of Passi Arena.

Returning from a mid-preseason break, both teams came in sharp, but it was the Crossovers who proved steadier throughout the 1-hour, 50-minute clash. Apart from a second-set collapse where they lost a seven-point advantage in extended play, Chery Tiggo was in control from start to finish.

Peñafiel rises as breakout star in statement win

Rookie sensation Renee Peñafiel delivered a career-best performance, scoring 18 points on three blocks and three aces to earn her first Best Player of the Game award. Visibly overwhelmed, she simply said, “Hindi ko alam… Thank you Lord. Sobrang happy na nasa Chery Tiggo ako at nanalo. Nakuha namin sa hirap ng training and everything.”

Her performance marked a sharp contrast to her underwhelming collegiate run with UST, signaling a new chapter in her career as she steps into a potential star role with the Crossovers.

Veterans Ara Galang (15 points), Cess Robles (14 points), and Imee Hernandez (11 points) provided steady support, with Hernandez sparking a pivotal run in the third set that flipped a 3-6 deficit into a commanding 25-15 finish.

Chery Tiggo executes cleanly as Cignal unravels

Robles added 14 digs and five receptions in her most complete game of the tour, while setter Alina Bical orchestrated the offense with 25 excellent sets, outdueling Cignal’s Gel Cayuna who tallied just 17.

Despite taking Set 2, Cignal couldn’t recover from Chery Tiggo’s all-out surge in Set 3. Hernandez led the fightback with four consecutive quick attack points, and Peñafiel teamed with Aby Maraño to shut down Erika Santos’ attacks at the net.

Cignal crumbled under pressure, giving up 33 unforced errors compared to Chery Tiggo’s 19. They also lost in attacks (53-45), blocks (7-3), and service aces (8-4). Santos led Cignal with 14 points, while no other teammate breached double digits.

With this win, Chery Tiggo now stands alone atop Pool B, having previously outlasted Akari in five sets and defeated Capital1 in four. Cignal, on the other hand, suffered its first loss in the preseason tournament organized by Sports Vision.