Games Tomorrow(PhilSports Arena)2:30 p.m. — PLDT vs Creamline5:30 p.m. — F2 vs Choco Mucho
CHERY Tiggo turned back a shorthanded F2 Logistics, 25-23, 25-21, 25-22, yesterday to launch its bid to reclaim lost glory in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the PhilSports Arena.
Mylene Paat carried most of the scoring load when Montenegro’s Jelena Cvijovic struggled and fired 16 points, all coming off attacks, while EJ Laure scattered 11 hits as the Crossovers opened their campaign with high hopes of replicating its championship run in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte a year ago.
Ms. Cvijovic was hardly felt with six points but setter Jasmine Nabor said the former made up for it with her leadership.
“She’s not that vocal but you can feel her presence in every point,” said Ms. Nabor, who had 13 excellent sets while chipping in three points.
Ms. Nabor said she hopes the morale-boosting triumph would spark something big in the team as they seek to make up for a pair of disappointing eighth-place finishes in the Open and Invitational Conferences early this year.
It was made more disappointing that the heartbreaks came a year after Chery Tiggo reigned supreme in the Open Conference in Ilocos Norte.
“Our two conferences, we were in the bottom from the top the season before. That’s what we’re trying to come from. We have to have team work inside and outside the court,” said Ms. Nabor.
It helped Chery Tiggo that F2 missed American spiker Lindsay Stalzer and libero Dawn Macandili were out due to health reasons.
The Cargo Movers went to Kalei Mau, who made her PVL debut with a match-best 20 points.
It didn’t work.
F2 tried Ara Galang and Aby Marano alternating as liberos.
It didn’t work either. — Joey Villar