Chery Tiggo
Photo: PVL
Jennifer Nierva, the relentless Chery Tiggo libero, recalled watching a championship duel between Creamline and Choco Mucho last conference.
“I was so amazed with the way Creamline was playing. I asked myself, ‘How can we defeat Creamline?’ because system-wise, it was solid with its attackers, defense and passing,” Nierva said.
Exactly three months later, Chery Tiggo found the answer to that question.
After absorbing consecutive painful defeats early in its Premier Volleyball League campaign, the Crossovers accomplished a feat that seemed impossible for 19 straight games: Slaying the league’s Goliath. “Even while we are scouting [the Cool Smashers], it seems like we could not find ways to pierce through them, so I’m just happy that we came to a point that we had jelling inside the court,” Nierva said on Saturday after Chery TIggo shut out Creamline, 25-18, 26-24, 25-23, on Saturday at Sta. Rosa Sports Complex.
It was Chery Tiggo’s first win against the Cool Smashers since claiming the 2021 Open Conference title in a Game 3 five-set thriller in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte province—its first and only championship.
Eya Laure provided a solution to the problem that previously had no answer after nailing 14 points built around 12 attacks and two aces while Nierva, pulling inspiration from the Cool Smashers seventh championship she witnessed, guarded the floor like there was no tomorrow with 20 excellent digs and 10 excellent receptions.
Change of approach
Creamline hadn’t lost in straight sets since losing the title match of the Reinforced Conference in 2019 against Petro Gazz.
Chery Tiggo, meanwhile, was coming off two straight losses, including a stunning defeat to Farm Fresh recently that necessitated a change of approach for the Crossovers’ coaching staff who had to brainstorm a way out of the rut especially with an important clash coming their way.
But even with the difficult assignment, there was no reason to just bow down to the competition, with Nierva adding: “As long as we have an opponent, we have a chance to win; even if they are on top, they are not automatically the winners.”
“We can change the narrative.”
Cza Carandang believed in that as well after finishing with 12 points and manning the net with three blocks to help control the powerful duo of Jema Galanza and Tots Carlos, who scored 13 and 12 points, respectively.
“We were hungrier [after losing to the Foxies]. That was really the term that Tyang Aby [Maraño] was reminding us—to be hungrier to win games,” Laure said. “What happened to us to Farm Fresh was a wake-up call.”
“Creamline was on top; we were at the bottom. The coaches told us that we need to be hungrier to reach the top because they are the defending champions,” she added after leading Chery Tiggo to the historic win in front of a crowd mostly clad in pink.
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“One step at a time. I hope that with this win we can show that we can fight as a team. We only need teamwork … we will battle it out.”