PVL: Eya, EJ Laure carry Chery Tiggo past Akari in five-set win
Laure sisters Eya and EJ lead Chery Tiggo in five-set win over Akari in the PVL Invitational Conference. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Sisters Eya and EJ Laure powered Chery Tiggo past the gritty Akari in five sets, 25-18, 22-25, 25-19, 17-25, 15-7, in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference on Tuesday at Philsports Arena.
Eya unleashed her best professional performance so far with 19 points built on 16 attacks and three blocks, as her elder sister EJ backed her up with 15 points and 11 digs to give the Crossovers their first win in Pool A to keep their semifinal hopes alive.
After Chery Tiggo failed to close out the game in the fourth set, the younger Laure, who was converted to opposite spiker in the latter part of the match after Mylene Paat suffered from cramps, came to the rescue in the decider scoring three consecutive points for a 4-1 start before Imee Hernandez and Ces Robles stretched it to a 9-3 lead.
Eya widened the gap to 11-5 with a back row kill, while Robles put the team at match point through a smart cut shot, 14-7, followed by Eli Soyud’s attack error that ended the two-hour and 28-minute match.
Eya Laure unleashes a hit against Akari defenders. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
“I’m happy with our win because this is just a short league. Every win is very important,” said Chery Tiggo coach Aaron Velez.
“I’m proud of my rookies. You really can’t discount them despite their age. What they can actually offer, they really bring it on. They were there for their Ate Mylene even she was struggling. They promised to do their job and get it done.”
Paat still finished with 11 points despite missing the fifth. Pauline Gaston also scored 11, while setter Joyme Cagande fired two aces to finish with four points and had 17 excellent sets before veteran playmaker Angelica Legacion took charge in the fifth.
Chery Tiggo, which lost to Creamline on opening day last June 27, improved to 1-1 for third place in Pool A before facing Gerflor on Thursday at 9:30 a.m.
Akari fell to the brink of elimination after remaining winless in two games in its group amid Soyud’s 18-point effort off 15 attacks and three blocks.
Faith Nisperos, who only scored five points on her PVL debut, had 15 points, 11 excellent receptions, and seven digs, as Trisha Genesis also scored 15.
The Chargers fight for their semis contention against the Creamline Cool Smashers on Saturday.
