Jimenez turns to 'prayer' in crucial times

GALERIES' Ysa Jimenez was once caught praying and mouthing "just one set Lord, please," in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League All-FIlipino Conference.

Fast-forward to the 2025 edition, she got more than what she prayed for.

Galeries, known for its tough floor defense, has suffered numerous five-setter losses against tough opponents that mostly ended with a loss.

In the qualification round of the tournament, Galeries pulled what seemed to be impossible after taking down Cignal in a four-set match, 25-17, 25-22, 19-25, 25-19, to book its first-ever playoff slot.

The former University of Santo Tomas stalwart, scored a career-high of 23 points on 22 attacks and a block, shared how it has been difficult for the team starting the year after accepting straight defeats.

"Anything is possible with God. We were turning it as an inside joke, but our team has been through a lot. During the holidays and Christ-mas break, we were the only team that was training, and we even questioned it, saying that our hard work did not show results," she told The Manila Times with a smile.

Recalling her previous "Just one set Lord, please" gesture, she laughed when she realized that it did happen, but it all went to five-setter match-es making them finish at the 10th in 2024.

"We were so tired, if you only know what we've been through as a team. It wasn't easy, even though I had experience in training with PLDT be-fore, playing inside the court is really different. In the past conferences, I have had more exposure and have gotten a better grasp of it," she said.

As cliche as it sounds, but hard work pays off as the Highrisers broke their two-year 10th-place finish spell and already reached the playoffs.

In its two-year stay in the league, the franchise has never reached a higher place than 10th.

The team now looks to take on tougher opponents in the next round.