By Rachel Gonzales

 

 

Galeries Tower eliminated Capital1, 25-16, 25-20, 30-28, to advance to the next phase of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference Play-In tournament Tuesday at Filoil Centre.

The High Risers, who placed ninth in the preliminary round, delivered when it mattered most, knocking the Solar Spikers out of contention.

Galeries will face Nxled — a team it defeated in the preliminaries — in the next Play-In stage on Saturday.

Last year’s No. 2 overall pick Jean Asis delivered in the extended third set, highlighted by a crucial block on Belen that gave Galeries a 29-28 match point advantage. Gayle Pascual then sealed the win with a decisive kill.

 

Asis finished with 17 points built on 12 attacks, three blocks and two aces.

She also scored three straight points, capped by an ace, to push Galeries ahead 23-21 in the third set. Capital1 fought back as Belen tied the set at 23. Aiza Maizo-Pontillas put Galeries at match point, 24-23, but Belen responded with back-to-back kills to seize a 25-24 lead and extend the set with multiple set-point opportunities.

Julia Coronel had 22 excellent sets, as Gayle Pascual and Aiza Maizo-Pontillas had 14 and 12 points, respectively. Roselle Baliton had 11 points, highlighted by four blocks, while libero BLove Barbon had 15 digs. and 11 excellent receptions.

Galeries entered the match with a 2-7 record, riding a five-game losing streak capped by a four-set loss to Capital1 last Saturday, when Belen tallied 23 points along with 14 excellent digs and 15 excellent receptions.

 

Photo: PVL

The HighRisers also continued a trend of late surges, recalling last year’s All-Filipino Conference run when they upset No. 3 Cignal in the qualifying round to reach the quarterfinals.

Belen’s strong conference campaign, in which she emerged as the leading scorer, came to an end.

The top overall pick was the lone bright spot for Capital1 with 21 points, 12 digs, and nine excellent receptions.