![Mylene Paat of Chery Tiggo Crossovers.](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2023/11/IMG_0673_All-Filipino-Conference-NXLED-Chery-Tiggo_Mylene-Paat-620x413.jpg)
Mylene Paat of Chery Tiggo Crossovers. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – Mylene Paat provided the spark from the bench and much-needed leadership for Chery Tiggo to outlast gritty Nxled, 22-25, 31-29, 25-23, 28-26, for tied for second place in the Second All-Filipino Conference of the 2023 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) on Thursday at the Philsports Arena.
After missing the first four matches due to a foot injury, Paat showed flashes of her lethal form with 16 points, including three blocks, and encouraged her teammates to fight on as she lost Imee Hernandez midway through the second set due to a left knee injury from a serious injury. fall.
“I shouted that we had to play with our hearts in this fight. With our hearts we will win this match,” said Paat after helping the Crossover extend their winning streak to three.
Paat admitted that she has not yet fully recovered from her injury, but the trust of her coaches and teammates helped her through the pain.
“I am grateful to the coaches and teammates. Even though I am still dealing with an injury, they are not rushing me to come back, but I also trust the process given to me,” she said.
![Eya Laure from Chery Tiggo Crossovers.](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2023/11/IMG_0764_All-Filipino-Conference-NXLED-Chery-Tiggo_Eya-Laure-and-Mylene-Paat-620x413.jpg)
Eya Laure from Chery Tiggo Crossovers. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Eya Laure led the charge with 23 points, including three blocks on top of 13 digs, but she was unhappy with her performance despite Chery Tiggo improving to 5-1 and joining second-place PLDT for their matchup on Saturday.
“I am not satisfied with my performance because of my service error; But every time I got frustrated, coach Kungfu Reyes was there to calm me down. My teammates also reminded me to stay calm and keep playing because Nxled really challenged us with their serves,” Laure said in Filipino.
Cess Robles also scored with 16 points on top of nine outstanding receptions. Pauline Gaston had 12 points, including three straight points in the fourth to push the Crossovers to match point, 24-22, before making back-to-back errors that allowed the Chameleons to force a deuce and even regain the lead, 26- 25, after Lycha Ebon’s block on Robles.
Paat rescued a point with an off-the-block kill before setter Jasmin Nabor sealed the victory with a spike and the game-winning play to end the game with seven points on top of 20 excellent sets.
Nxled could have defeated Chery Tiggo in straight sets if the Chameleons could close out the second and third, but they absorbed their fifth straight defeat and slipped to 1-5.
“Credit to coach Taka [Minowa]’s team. They made it difficult for us to score with the level they played.
We were able to fight back from a cold start,” said Chery Tiggo assistant coach Kungfu Reyes.
Ebon led the Chameleons with 18 points and 10 digs. Cams Victoria and Jho Maraguinot had 15 points each, while Krich Macaslang had a game-high seven blocks to finish with 10 markers.
Post-match interview: Chery Tiggo Crossovers
Chery Tiggo deputy coach Kungfu Reyes, Mylene Paat and Eya Laure after surviving Nxled. #PVL2023
Posted by Inquirer Sports on Thursday, November 9, 2023