MANILA, Philippines — The first time is the sweetest.
And that’s how it felt for the Galeries Tower Highrisers after they stunned the Akari Chargers, 25-22, 26-24, 23-25, 15-25, 15-10, yesterday to claim their first PVL All-Filipino Conference Pulse Series win at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“We’ve been through a lot so this win means a lot to us because we came here to compete and win,” said Galeries Tower’ prized sophomore Erika Deloria, who powered her team with a masterful 20-point effort she laced with 18 spikes.
That was the Highrisers’ first triumph after stumbling to a stinging 0-4 start while the Chargers slipped to 2-3.
It was all about keeping calm amid an ocean of storm.
And it came just in time late in the fifth and deciding set when Galeries Tower blew a 7-4 lead and Akari knotted it at 9. It regained its composure to preserve the win that got the franchise on the board and rekindled its flickering semifinal hope.