GAMES THURSDAY
(PhilSports Arena)
4 p.m. — Cignal vs. Creamline
6:30 p.m. — PLDT vs. Chery Tiggo
KEEPING their heads high after falling short in the PVL on Tour title match, veteran stars Aby Marano and Ara Galang of the Chery Tiggo Crossovers shift their focus to the coming Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference, hoping to continue their hot-spiking momentum.
Despite giving their all, the Norman Miguel-mentored squad was thwarted and outlasted by the PLDT High Speed Hitters in a thrilling five-set battle 17-25, 17-25, 25-19, 26-24, 8-15 last Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Now, the Crossovers are on another mission: Seek payback in the Invitational Conference beginning this Thursday at the PhilSports Arena.
Marano and Galang were proud of Chery Tiggo’s run in the preseason contest, seeing silver linings in their silver-medal finish.
“Happy talaga kasi trinabaho namin iyon pero at the same time naniniwala kami na baka hindi pa ito iyong oras para sa team kaya mas gigil pa kami na trabahuin iyong mga susunod na opportunity for us,” Marano said.
“Ako happy and proud sa mga kasama ko kasi siyempre hindi din naman madali iyong mga pinagdaanan namin so deserve din naman namin mag-podium. Umabot naman kami doon sa finals, iyon lang kinapos kami pero masaya pa rin kami,” said Galang.
The Crossovers, along with PLDT, Creamline Cool Smashers and Cignal HD Spikers, the four teams that reached the On Tour Final Four, will compete in the seven-day Invitational Conference against Japanese guest teams Kurashiki Ablaze and Kobe Shinwa University.
Chery Tiggo begins its campaign this Thursday, meeting PLDT in the main event at 6:30 p.m.
“Invitationals ito, merong mga club teams from different countries, especially Japan. We’ll take it as an opportunity to learn from them syempre kalaban natin mga magagaling din, mga nasa podium sa PVL so tuloy tuloy iyong learning, especially for us na bago iyong team, iyong talagang core ng team… Talagang tatrabahuin namin kung ano pa iyong pwedeng ibuga ng team namin sa Invitational Conference,” said Marano, a veteran middle blocker.
