Locals getting things done for Chery Tiggo
The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced conference is named so because teams bring in foreign standouts to bolster their tournament chances.
Chery Tiggo, strangely, has been achieving success so far despite Jelena Cvijovic still feeling out the competition.
How are the Crossovers holding a share of the early lead? The locals.
“Everyone is determined to play their hearts out. And our young teammates are hardworking,” said Mylene Paat, the source of Chery Tiggo’s offense the past two games, along with EJ Laure and Cza Carandang.
Paat is currently the league’s most efficient spiker with a 47.95 percent attack rate. She has piled up 35 points, good for top five in the league and tied with F2’s Kalei Mau. Paat and Mau are the two locals behind PLDT import Elena Samoilenko, Choco Mucho’s Odina Aliyeva, Akari’s Prisilla Rivera, and Tai Bierria of Cignal in the scoring list.
Initially, it seemed that Chery Tiggo found themselves with a welcome advantage after facing an undermanned F2 Logistics. But even then, the Crossovers’ locals showed they were up to the task even with Cvijovic finishing with just six points.
“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 last Tuesday at PhilSports Arena.
“We’re really happy because the locals performed well,” said Chery Tiggo coach Clarence Esteban. “[Cvijovic] is still adjusting. She just needs to adapt the style of play here in the Philippines.”
Cvijovic finished with 12 points in a four-set win over the Cignal HD Spikers last weekend with Paat and her teammates providing much-needed offense for Chery Tiggo.
The Crossovers would be doubly tough to handle once Cvijovic finds her bearings. But they are not simply waiting for that to happen.
“We’re starting to rise again. We’re doing it step by step,” Paat said.
The next step for Chery Tiggo is dangerous new squad Akari.
The two teams clash at 2:30 p.m. at PhilSports Arena, with Akari coach Jorge Souza de Brito expected to unleash import Prisilla Rivera and locals Erika Raagas, Gen Casugod and Michelle Cobb in an effort to put the brakes on Chery Tiggo’s minirun.
Choco Mucho faces PLDT in the other encounter at 5:30 p.m.
