Libero Jen Nierva dreamed of scoring a win over powerhouse Creamline right from the moment she signed with Chery Tiggo last year.
Denied of achieving her goal in her first two tournaments as a Crossover, Nierva made sure that the third time’s the charm as her defensive prowess was on full display in the club’s huge upset over the defending champions in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference last Saturday.
Nierva’s impeccable floor defense keyed in Chery Tiggo’s amazing 25-18, 26-24, 25-23, victory over the erstwhile unbeaten Cool Smashers for a 3-2 win-loss record.
The Crossovers’ win not only blemished Creamline’s slate after five starts and snapped its 19-game winning streak since sweeping the 2nd AFC last year but also marked the club’s first win over the star-studded rival in three years.
Nierva never doubted Chery Tiggo’s ability to pull off the improbable.
“I was really amazed with Creamline watching them play in Game 2 of the championship of the previous conference while waiting for our teammate Eya Laure to receive her Best Outside Hitter award,” Nierva said.
“I was asking myself then, ‘How can we beat Creamline?’ System-wise they are solid with great attackers, good defense and passing. Even when we were scouting them it’s hard to find any weakness in them.”
But the National University product kept believing that they would eventually get one.
“We knew our time would come. Not just because they’re on top, necessarily means they’ll get an automatic win. We can change our fate,” she said.
Nierva poured everything on the floor — literally.
The 24-year-old libero was all over the taraflex keeping the ball alive, drawing admiration from fans inside the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna.
She catalyzed Chery Tiggo’s counter-attacks as she tallied impressive numbers of 20 digs and 10 excellent receptions.
Her defensive masterclass earned her the first-ever unanimous vote for the PVL Press Corps Player of the Week honor for the period of 12 to 16 March.
Despite leading Chery Tiggo to its first win over Creamline since the 2021 Open Conference Game 3 inside the Bacarra, Ilocos Norte bubble, Nierva still credited the victory to the team’s collective effort.
“I’m just so happy we reached the point that we’re jelling well inside the court,” Nierva said as Chery Tiggo recovered from a straight sets loss to Farm Fresh in its previous outing.
“Our familiarity as well as the help of our coaches tweaking our system after our loss to Farm Fresh helped us a lot,” she added of the Crossovers’ win that dealt the Cool Smashers their first straight sets defeat since 2019.
Nierva outshone teammate Eya Laure, Petro Gazz’s Brooke Van Sickle, Choco Mucho’s Sisi Rondina, and Akari’s Fifi Sharma for the weekly honor given by scribes from broadsheets, tabloids, and online platforms covering the beat.
