Galang stays driven despite accolades

Decorated winger Ara Galang has been collecting championships from her college days up to her stint in an amateur club league.

But her thirst for glory remains unquenched, with still one important title missing in her collection.

So, expect the Chery Tiggo ace to go all-out in her pursuit of her first-ever championship in the professional ranks in a winner-take-all gold medal clash against unbeaten PLDT in the 2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) On Tour on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“Volleyball is my passion. I enjoy playing,” Galang said.

The 30-year-old open spiker got closer to her dream of standing in the PVL top podium after helping the Crossovers eliminate fancied Cignal, 25-17, 16-25, 25-21, 25-23, in the knockout semifinal last Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“I now have that opportunity so I don’t want to waste it. You can never tell when the next opportunity (to play in the final) will present itself,” added the heady hitter.

Galang, a three-time University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) champion and four-time titlist in the defunct Philippine Superliga, has vowed to display her vintage form once again to help Chery Tiggo bag its first crown since winning it all in the 2021 Open Conference inside the Bacarra, Ilocos Norte bubble.

“As long as I can, I’ll give my best to help my team, Chery. It’s my way of giving back to the team’s faith and trust in me,” added Galang, who scored 15 points in booting out the HD Spikers.

The path to her championship appearance hasn’t been easy. Since her PVL debut in 2022 with F2 Logistics, Galang has worked tirelessly for a shot at the finals but has come up wanting, until now.

But Galang and the Crossovers will surely find stiff opposition from the High Speed Hitters, who are unbeaten in seven outings and are coming off a five-set victory over powerhouse Creamline.

She will also go up against former De La Salle University and Cargo Movers teammates Kim Kianna Dy, Majoy Baron, Kim Fajardo and Mika Reyes — all as hungry as her for the shiny championship trophy.

However, Galang is unfazed.

“I’ll take it simply: I won’t stop until I achieve my goal,” she said.