Chery Tiggo turns back Petro Gazz in PNVF tournament

Chery Tiggo Crossovers’ Aby Maraño in the PNVF Champions League. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Chery Tiggo is slowly getting the momentum it needs in the PNVF Champions League as the Crossovers triumphed over Petro Gazz, 25-23, 25-9, 23-25, 25-17, at Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday night.

Save for a third set hiccup, the Crossovers, who fell to Cignal in their opening game clash, showed a more cohesive unit with their core and newer players complementing each other.

“[The Crossovers] are playing much better. The play that we are looking for is slowly showing,” coach Kung Fu Reyes told the Inquirer in Filipino as Chery Tiggo improved to a 2-1 standing.

“Their natural movements, their talents are complementing each other and that’s one thing that we are looking for in this group, when it comes to leadership, from head to down the line [is showing], so that’s the best thing,” Reyes went on.

In the offseason, Chery Tiggo signed Aby Marano and Ara Galang from the defunct F2 Logistics. The veterans are slowly building their chemistry with the Crossovers’ core of Eya Laure, Cess Robles, Shaya Adorador and former PVL MVP Mylene Paat.

Galang showed up for her new team with 14 points built on 11 attacks and three aces while Eya contributed 12 points.

“Now, their movements are becoming much more dynamic compared to our first game [in the PNVF]. That was only our third game together including two tuneup games before the PNVF,” Reyes said. “Good things are happening in attacking and getting our coverage.

“We lost [in our game versus Cignal] but we didn’t have low morale because the transition of the game were just breaks of the game toward the end. So we were not simply just getting beat.”

Petro Gazz, which sat out its Filipino-American spiker Brooke van Sickle and chief playmaker Djanel Cheng, fell to a 1-2 record and will close the eliminations facing a tough College of St. Benilde squad.

Chery Tiggo will try to sustain its momentum as it faces its final elimination assignment Philippine Army on Thursday before moving on to the semifinals.