PVL on Tour knockout final set as PLDT, Chery Tiggo oust Creamline, Cignal

MANILA, Philippines, August 13 ------ PLDT fought twice from the brink of elimination to earn its first PVL franchise finals appearance at the expense of mighty Creamline in a captivating five-set On Tour knockout semifinal, 27-25, 22-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-10, at the Araneta Coliseum.

Super scorer Savi Davison hammered down 8 of her conference-high 34-point explosion in the fifth-set breakaway alone as veteran setter Kim Fajardo helped her up with 25 excellent sets. Captain libero Kath Arado gave everything on the court as usual, with 23 excellent receptions and 16 digs, while the resurgent Kianna Dy scored 14 in the winning effort for the High Speed Hitters, who now meet the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in the knockout final on Sunday, August 17, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Jema Galanza paced the heartbreaking, conference-ending loss with 20 points, hiked by 24 excellent sets from Kyle Negrito as timeless duo Alyssa Valdez and Michele Gumabao poured their hearts out with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Three-time PVL MVP Valdez also clinched a triple-double with 14 excellent receptions and 10 digs as Creamline went the distance despite not having its usual star cogs Tots Carlos, Bernadeth Pons, Bea de Leon, and the returning Jia de Guzman.

Chery Tiggo cruises back to PVL final

Meanwhile, Chery Tiggo marched back to its first PVL final since the 2021 Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, bubble off a 25-17, 16-25, 25-21, 25-23 ouster of the Cignal HD Spikers. Jasmine Nabor, one of three remaining players from that 2021 title-winning squad once led by the Santiago sisters Jaja and Dindin, led the winning cause with 21 excellent sets and helped four players reach double-digit scoring. Veteran spiker Ara Galang, finally headed to her first PVL career final after a four-year stay in the league, topscored alongside former UAAP Finals MVP Cess Robles with 15 points apiece.

Galang and longtime teammate Aby Maraño lock horns on Sunday night against fellow La Salle legends Kianna Dy, Mika Reyes, Kim Fajardo, and Majoy Baron. Standout rookie hitter Ren Peñafiel added 10 points as young libero Karen Verdeflor chipped in 16 excellent receptions and 15 digs in the gripping win that saw Cignal rise from a 22-16 fourth-set deficit before falling short in a nail-biting final stretch. Fast-rising star spiker Erika Santos went down swinging with a game-high 26 points, putting her total at a whopping 80 points in her last three appearances for an average of 26.7 points in that final stretch. Gel Cayuna tossed 20 excellent sets, while Ishie Lalongisip scored 13 as the HD Spikers now fight for the bronze on Sunday against Creamline.

Source: rappler.com