Capital1 downs Galeries Tower

Bella Belen came back roaring with another 20-plus point performance on Saturday, leading Capital1 to a hard-earned 25-20, 22-25, 25-22, 26-24 win over Galeries Tower to close out the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference preliminaries at the FilOil Playtime Centre.

The three-time Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines Most Valuable Player Belen actually posted a triple-double after being held below 20 in her previous performance, firing 23 points, registering 14 digs and 15 receptions in another all-around display of court skills.

But she wasn’t all alone in getting the job done as Capital1 drew strong support across the board.

France Ronquillo led the charge offensively with 20 points to earn Best Player of the Game honors while Cherry Nunag and Sydney Niegos chipped in 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Despite the match carrying no bearing on their already-set Play-In fates, both teams competed with playoff-like intensity, knowing a win would provide a crucial morale boost ahead of their rematch in the next phase.

Capital1 (4-5) and Galeries Tower (2-7) finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in the 10-team field, landing in the same Play-In bracket (Group 1) along with the No. 5 team. Group 2 will feature the sixth, seventh, and 10th-ranked squads.

The Play-In stage begins Tuesday, with teams set to play a round-robin format. The top performers will advance to knockout matches against the losers of the qualifying round crossover clashes.

Meanwhile, the top four teams — still incomplete at press time — will battle for the first two semifinal berths starting Thursday. PLDT and Cignal have already secured spots in the qualifying round, while Akari, Farm Fresh, Creamline and Nxled remain in contention, with tiebreak points likely to determine the final standings.

Initially expected to dominate, Capital1 instead found itself pushed to the limit by a determined Galeries Tower side eager to snap its skid and build momentum heading into the Play-In.

The Solar Spikers dominated the attack department, 74-59, overwhelming Galeries Tower’s defense and offsetting the 23 free points they conceded from errors. The victory snapped Capital1’s two-game skid and provided much-needed momentum heading into the Play-In stage.

Galeries Tower put up a fight with four players also scoring in double figures, led by Aiza Pontillas with 17 points, alongside Jean Asis (14), and Erika Deloria and Gayle Pascual with 10 each.

However, a costly fourth-set meltdown underscored the Highrisers’ struggle with composure — an area they must address if they hope to pull off an upset in the next round.

The Solar Spikers took the opening set but saw the Highrisers respond strongly to even the match. Capital1 regained control in the third frame, but Galeries Tower appeared poised to force a decider after racing to a commanding 14-6 lead in the fourth.

However, the Highrisers faltered down the stretch as Capital1 unleashed a late surge led by the league’s top scorer.

Belen delivered three of the Solar Spikers’ last four points, rescuing the Solar Spikers from a 23-24 deficit with a mix of power and precision. She drew support from Ronquillo and Leila Cruz, while a crucial ace by Nunag helped spark the comeback.

From a tense 19-all count, Capital1 leaned on composure and firepower. Though Galeries Tower stayed within striking distance behind Pontillas, Belen took over in the clutch — tying the set, saving a set point with a thunderous kill, and eventually sealing the one-hour, 55-minute win.

A costly error by Winnie Bedana gave Capital1 the edge at 25-24, and moments later, Belen put the finishing touches with another decisive hit.

In the end, when the pressure peaked, Capital1 — and Belen — delivered.