PVL: EJ Laure, rebuilding Chery Tiggo relish hard-earned first win

Chery Tiggo’s EJ Laure. –PVL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — EJ Laure made sure to keep her focus despite facing an undermanned F2 Logistics to jumpstart Chery Tiggo’s 2022 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference on a high note.

Although the Crossovers faced a depleted team, which missed its import Lindsay Stalzer and libero Dawn Macandili, Laure said it was a hard-earned win for her team as they kick off their bid to rise from back-to-back eighth-place finishes.

“We really worked hard for this. I feel that we really deserved this (win),” said Laure in Filipino after scoring 11 points in their 25-23, 25-21, 25-22 victory over F2 Logistics on Tuesday at Philsports Arena.

“We didn’t look at (their shorthanded line-up). We just played our game and worked as a team,” she added.

The University of Santo Tomas standout scored three straight points that engineered a 7-0 exchange and allowed the Crossovers to take the first set after trailing, 18-23.

That first set comeback gave Chery Tiggo enough momentum to take down F2 Logistics, which was led by Kalei Mau.

The Crossovers are also making adjustments with their Montenegrin import Jelena Cvijovic still familiarizing the squad’s system and PVL’s style of play after a six-point debut, while Dindin Santiago-Manabat has yet to reach her full recovery from an ankle injury last conference, playing sparingly in their first game.

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Laure stepped up to plug in the holes, joining hands with Mylene Paat to give their team a good start.

“We stick to the game plan of coach. We listened to the in-game adjustments he made. And we keep on fighting, as what coach told us,” she said.

Chery Tiggo coach Clarence Esteban said his wards should sustain their fine performance as they face Cignal on Saturday.

“Let’s make it two wins,” said Esteban in Filipino. “But of course, we want to take it one game at a time and focus on our next opponent. With God’s grace, we can sustain our momentum. This first win had a huge impact on our team since we’re currently rebuilding.”