Games tomorrow:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

4 p.m. — PLDT vs Farm Fresh

6:30 p.m. — Creamline vs Cignal

Galeries Tower pulled off a shocker after eliminating eighth-seeded Capital1, 25-16, 25-20, 30-28, in the first knockout game of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference Play-in tournament Tuesday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The Highrisers picked the perfect time to end a five-game losing skid, including a disappointing four-set defeat against the same rival to end the preliminary round, to live to fight another day.

“We really prepared for this game. We’re already here so we just grabbed the opportunity. Fortunately, the players played well,” said Galeries Tower head coach Aying Esteban, whose squad put on extra training session after its loss last Saturday.

“We trained even on a Sunday and the sacrifice that we made was all worth it.”

Jean Asis played clutch in the extended third set, highlighted by a well-timed kill block over top overall pick in the last Draft Bella Belen to put Galeries Tower at match point for the third and last time before Gayle Pascual punctuated the upset with a thunderous smash.

Asis, the second overall selection in the 2025 Draft, scored 17 points on 12 attacks, three kill blocks and two aces to pace the Highrisers, who relied on their solid net defense and incredible patience in floor defense to advance into the next do-or-die match.

“This game is very important for us even if we lost in the last game. But we vowed to rebound in this game, which is the more important want. Happy that everyone performed well and contributed, even those on the bench boosted our confidence,” Asis said.

Galeries Tower will battle Nxled, which it beat in the prelims — one of only two squads it defeated in nine outings — on Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Pascual finished with 14 points, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas added 12 markers and nine digs while Roselle Baliton accounted four of the Highrisers’ 13 kill blocks in an 11-point production.

Setter Julia Coronel dished out 22 excellent sets to help Galeries Tower hammer down 45 spike points.

The Highrisers survived Belen’s late explosion in the third frame when the Alas Pilipinas single-handedly willed the Solar Spikers back into the game by scoring four of Capital1’s 5-1 run to move at set point, 25-24.

The Solar Spikers took two more set point advantages and tied it at 28 before Asis and Pascual’s finishing blows.

Belen was the only Capital1 player in double figures with 21 points, 20 from kills, and added 12 digs and nine excellent receptions.