MINGLANILLA – After four attempts, Julia Coronel has finally tasted victory on the professional stage, steering the Galeries Tower Highrisers to a hard-fought straight-set win over Capital1 in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference on Saturday night.
For Coronel, the 2024 PVL Draft's third overall pick, the triumph wasn't just about securing her first professional win. It also marked the end of Galeries Tower’s haunting 14-game losing streak that began in the 2024 All-Filipino Conference.
The Highrisers’ 26-24, 25-14, 25-23 victory was more than a tally in the win column—it was a testament to the team’s resilience, determination, and belief in their collective abilities.
“First, I’m just really thankful kay God and I’m just super happy that we finally got our first win,” said Coronel, the former La Salle standout. “And we’re really hoping to get many, many more wins this conference and siyempre paghihirapan talaga namin ‘yun.”
Coronel’s words reflected not just her joy but also the grit and effort it took for Galeries to pull off the victory.
“‘Yung tiyaga, tyinaga lang talaga namin talaga bawat puntos. We worked hard for every point and most importantly, we worked as a team. ‘Yun din ‘yung winork on namin, ‘yung connection namin and jelling namin and we’re glad na na-translate namin ‘yun,” she added.
A pivotal moment in the match was Coronel’s dominance from the service line, particularly during the second set, where she powered the Highrisers with five service aces in the team’s first six points. It was a showcase of precision and confidence, as she continually disrupted the Solar Spikers’ reception and set the tone for Galeries’ victory.
Coronel finished with a solid stat line: nine points and 10 excellent sets in a performance that lasted one hour and 41 minutes. Her all-around contributions lifted Galeries to a 1-4 standing and infused the team with much-needed momentum.
When asked about her stellar serving performance, Coronel humbly attributed it to the coaching staff’s strategic planning.
“Well, may instructions din kasing binibigay ‘yung coaches on where to target and sinusunod ko lang din ‘yun and siyempre to the best of my ability,” the 24-year-old setter said.
Galeries head coach Lerma Giron couldn’t help but express her admiration for Coronel and the rest of the Highrisers for their commitment to executing the game plan.
“Gumana ‘yung game plan namin, talagang naging team player sila at sumunod sila sa game plan namin. Naging masunurin sila ngayon, saka they just enjoyed the game and enjoyed Cebu,” said Giron.
