Chery Tiggo Crossovers delivered when it mattered most, outlasting the Capital1 Solar Spikers in a grueling five-set battle, 27-25, 23-25, 25-12, 22-25, 15-13, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan on Tuesday, November 11, night.

The match stretched over two hours and 25 minutes, with momentum swinging back and forth. The Crossovers relied on their championship pedigree, refusing to yield even when the Solar Spikers threatened to close the door in the fifth set.

Batista leads record-breaking charge

Yuni Batista spearheaded Chery Tiggo’s comeback, finishing with 41 points, including the decisive final hit that sealed the thrilling victory. Her 43-percent attack efficiency set a new tournament scoring mark, surpassing the previous 38-point output held by Sasha Bytsenko.

“I didn’t think too much, I just took it point by point,” Batista said, reflecting on her mindset during the final stretch.

Chery Tiggo’s win halted their slump, improving their record to 2-4, sharing ninth place with the Choco Mucho Flying Titans. The victory brought them closer to the joint fifth-running Akari Chargers, Petro Gazz Angels, and Solar Spikers, each with 3-3 marks, setting up a tense race in the closing preliminaries.

Team effort keeps quarterfinal hopes alive

The Crossovers’ balanced attack included Ara Galang’s 11 points and Shaya Adorador’s seven, supported by six points each from Mylene Paat, Renee Peñafiel, and Cza Carandang. Their combination of offensive firepower and disciplined floor defense helped them match Capital1’s 72 attacks.

Capital1 edged Chery Tiggo in blocks, 11-9, and saw strong contributions from rookie Bella Belen with 22 points and Chel Austero with 11. Yet, Chery Tiggo capitalized on the Solar Spikers’ errors, converting 30 free points while giving up only 15.

The Crossovers demonstrated resilience in key stretches, particularly in the tense first and fifth sets. After dropping the second and fourth sets narrowly, Chery Tiggo dominated the third 25-12, asserting control through aggressive serving and tactical plays.

The victory reignited Chery Tiggo’s drive for a quarterfinal berth, showing they can combine individual heroics with team cohesion to overcome stiff challenges in the PVL Reinforced Conference.