The Chery Tiggo Crossovers cruised to their best performance yet in the early stages of the 2023 PVL All-Filipino Conference after embarrassing the contending F2 Cargo Movers, 25-19, 25-14, 25-16, at the PhilSports Arena on Thursday, February 16.
Reigning Reinforced Conference MVP Mylene Paat kept her scintillating scoring streak going with a 22-point eruption in just three frames played, matching the entire Cargo Movers’ attacking total all by herself.
Best Libero Buding Duremdes held down the fort on defense with 25 excellent digs and 13 excellent receptions, but the main star of the show was setter Alina Bicar, who tallied 20 excellent sets after replacing Jasmine Nabor from the starting lineup for the first time this conference.
Following a tone-setting opening set, the unbeaten Chery Tiggo simply refused to hand over any semblance of momentum over to F2 as it dominated the second frame with a 20-8 burial off a Paat kill, capping a huge 12-2 blitz.
It was practically the same story in the third set as the Cargo Movers fought tooth-and-nail in the early stages – as close as 9-10 – only for the Crossovers to again pull away with a game-sealing 11-4 run, ending with an EJ Laure ace for the 21-13 separation.
“I’m so proud of the ladies, how they were really working hard. You cannot pinpoint anything wrong,” said Chery Tiggo head coach Aaron Velez. “The heart the players gave today, they really offered to one another.”
No F2 player breached double-digit scoring as Myla Pablo finished with only 9 points, while the returning Majoy Baron scored 6 in her conference debut. Kianna Dy, the Cargo Movers’ leading scorer for the first two games, was shackled to just a single point in two sets played.
Now the only undefeated team aside from the Creamline Cool Smashers, Chery Tiggo looks to rally up to four straight wins against the PLDT High Speed Hitters next on Tuesday, February 21, 6:30 pm, still at the PhilSports Arena.
F2, on the other hand, faces an uphill climb to get back to its winning ways as it faces Creamline in a Saturday, February 18, 6:30 pm blockbuster, also at PhilSports.