Jen Nierva’s efficient outing propels Chery Tiggo to victory
Chery Tiggo’s Jen Nierva spearheaded the floor defense for the Crossovers as they denied PLDT, 25-12, 25-23, 20-25, 25-22, of a 4-0 start in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday, December 3, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Alas Pilipinas libero’s efficient outing rendered Savi Davison’s game-high 27 points down the drain as the High Speed Hitters absorbed its first loss in the conference.
PLDT failed to score from the service line because of Chery Tiggo's excellent reception, which was supported by Nierva's effective outing.
Nierva put up 17 excellent digs and 16 excellent receptions for the Crossovers, earning her Player of the Game citations.
The 25-year-old defense specialist made sure to apply what she learned from her six-page strategy on the High Speed Hitters’ tendencies.
"I started my day watching PLDT. And I have six pages on how I will play them today. And I think that's something new that I did today that really worked," Nierva said.
"I actually went through their rotations, especially Davison’s spiking tendencies. Although, I still missed a lot because she's very aggressive. You can't really read either. And then also the one, for example, when (Fiola) Ceballos, it's like I can really see what they would really do inside the court. And because I already know it, it's easy for me to lead my teammates," she added.
In addition to her preparation, Nierva relied on her connection with Norman Miguel, her previous college coach, and her experience with Alas Pilipinas.
"I saw the leadership of my teammates [in Alas]. And how hardworking they are, how dedicated they are, and how competitive they are inside the court. So actually there were times when I was really frustrated and my teammates saw that I wasn't really satisfied. And we're still far from our goal. And I'm just very happy that now we earned a win.”
Meanwhile, Cess Robles hammered 14 of her 17 points from kills in the winning cause. Ara Galang registered 13 markers, while Shaya Adorador and Pauline Gaston had 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Chery Tiggo's next match will be against the Akari Chargers on December 10 at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.