Chery Tiggo would not be denied a date with history on Friday (August 13).
Leaning on the ever-reliable Santiago sisters, the Crossovers staged a monumental comeback to dethrone Creamline, 23-25, 20-25, 25-21, 25-22, and 15-8, and reign supreme over the 2021 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Open Conference at PCV Socio-Civic and Cultural Center in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.
Dindin Santiago-Manabat fought her heart out in a performance for the ages as she detonated a 32-point explosion, to go along with 15 excellent digs, while Jaja Santiago poured out a scoring eruption of her own with 26 points as Chery Tiggo emerged victorious in the first professionalized volleyball tournament in the Philippines.
Staring down a precarious two-set deficit, the Crossovers brushed aside their lethargic start and rode on the back of the fearsome, towering sisters who refused to bow down to the three-peat seeking Cool Smashers.
Chery Tiggo would crawl its way out of the mire and forge a decisive fifth set where a blistering 5-0 spurt allowed them to build a 9-2 cushion.
At the end, the lead proved to be insurmountable even for the Creamline’s battle-tested mettle as Santiago nailed the finishing touches that sealed the championship.
As if a title wasn’t historic enough, Chery Tiggo also became the first team in the bubble tournament to come back from two sets down and reign victorious.
Creamline, on the other hand, could not avert a meltdown of epic proportions as it dropped the Open Conference crown after keeping a hold of it in the last two seasons when the league was still considered semi-professional.
Tots Carlos spearheaded the losing side with 22 points while Alyssa Valdez poured out 17 points for the Cool Smashers, who once again drew strength from Jia Morado’s playmaking brilliance that produced 47 excellent sets.
Jema Galanza saw her gallant all-around effort of 14 points, 20 digs and 30 receptions go down the drain while Risa Sato scored 14 of her own as well in a crushing defeat.
Ohmer Bautista is a sports journalist who has covered local and international sporting events in the Philippines. The views expressed are his own.
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