Highrisers go a Step UP

MANILA, Philippines — Galeries Tower overcame a Bella Belen barrage as it fought with a fierce team effort to eke out a 25-16, 25-20, 30-28 victory and roll in the PVL All-Filipino Conference play-in phase at the Filoil Arena.

A combination play culminated in a soaring kill from Gayle Pascual sealed the deal for the Highrisers.

And the mammoth win set the Highrisers up against the Nxled Chameleons in the second game of the tough knockout stepladder play-in Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Solar Spikers went down and out as the Belen show proved not enough versus the Highrisers.

The 2025 top rookie pick, Alas Pilipinas standout and UAAP champion and MVP delivered a match-best 21 points plus nine digs and 12 receptions.

But she just couldn’t do it alone as the Milka and Mandy Romero-owned franchise would finish second to last, if not dead last.

For the Galeries Tower, the win was an assurance of at least matching its best finish in the league at eighth that came in this same conference last year.

But it will depend on how it will compete against a heavily favored, Brooke Van Sickle-bannered Nxled squad that is starting to find its old rhythm.

“We prepared hard for this game because we know that we’ve made it this far and we might as well grab the chance,” said Galeries Tower coach Clarence Esteban, whose side avenged a 25-20, 22-25, 25-22, 26-24 defeat to Capital1 in the preliminaries Saturday.