MANILA, Philippine – At the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday, Chery Tiggo showed off its seasoned expertise and poise as it rallied from significant deficits to confound Farm Fresh, 25 to 21, 25 to 23, and 25 to 22, and take a share of the lead in the Professional Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.

The opening set saw the Crossovers overcome a significant 15-20 hole to win easily by four points thanks to a crippling final 10 to 1 run. The Crossovers exploited their intelligence to confuse the Foxies in the final stretch of all three frames. They overcame a 10-18 deficit in the third set by going on a whirlwind 8 to 0 run, then outlasted their opponents in the crucial moments to win the match in straight sets after breaking away from a close second set battle and holding off the Foxies’ own comeback at 23 to 24.

While the Chery Tiggo’s were definitely looking forward to playing in their first game during the Recreational Activities Vision-organized league’s season-ending conference, the Crossovers did not anticipate being pitted against a team that had gone winless in five games prior to the PVL Invitational.

In the third quarter, the Crossovers went on a decisive run to equalize the score at 18, and Cess Robles, who had been on the bench, scored all but two of her 10 points during that stretch. Robles came through with an additional single to break through another deadlock. Then the Crossovers turned to sisters Eya and EJ Laure, Pauline Gaston, and Imee Hernandez to comeback from a 19 to 20 deficit on a game-winning 6-1 finish. Despite her committing an attack error on the following play, this allowed the Foxies to regain the lead.

Hernandez finished with eight points, EJ had thirteen points to her name, and Eya led Chery Tiggo in scoring with 14. For the Crossovers, setter Jasmine Nabor contributed three points, while Gaston and Shaya Adorador each contributed four.

Mylene Paat, the team’s star player who was injured, did not compete for Chery Tiggo, which finished fifth in the first conference.

The Crossovers scored seven straight points to spark their ferocious comeback, but the Foxies came into the game full of confidence and took control late in the opening set.

Following a second set that was a see-saw struggle, the Foxies once more lost their composure and momentum in the stretch, and they eventually gave out in a third set meltdown.

Trisha Tubu, Jade Gentapa, Kate Santiago, Sam Nolasco, and Rizza Cruz, among others, expected to get better and stronger when the Foxies take on the Choco Mucho Flying Titans tomorrow. Nevertheless, the Foxies hoped to have learnt their lessons from the regrettable defeat.

A 15-point performance from Tubu was followed by nine points from fellow lefty Santiago and ten hits from Gentapa. Cruz and Nolasco scored a combined 15 points, while the Foxies displayed their excellent front-line defense by recording seven blocks—five more than the Crossovers.

Farm Fresh was outscored by Chery Tiggo by six attack points in the end, but Chery Tiggo profited from the weak service reception of its rivals and racked up five aces. While giving up 14 points of their own, the Crossovers took advantage of the Foxies’ errors to score 19 points.