Choco Mucho continued its remarkable run towards the finals, overpowering Chery Tiggo, 25-20, 25-19, 25-23, as the Flying Titans firmly grasped control of the semifinal round of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig Thursday night.
Sisi Rondina and Royse Tubino displayed their exceptional form once again, replicating their outstanding performances from the previous match against the Creamline Cool Smashers. Together, they combined for 35 crucial points, proving to be pivotal in nailing another win over the Crossovers, whom they had previously defeated in the preliminary round.
Tubino, who took over in the third set, expressed the team’s focused mindset and resolve to give their best performance. Her stellar play, contributing 17 points, including 15 attacks and two blocks, underscored the team’s unity and trust in each other.
“Naka mindset kami sa game na ito na ibibigay namin ang best namin. Kailangan talaga naming manalo para mataas ang points naming para sa finals (We came into this game with the mindset that we would give our best. We really needed to win to secure higher point for the finals),” said Tubino, who clinched the game’s top honors.
She also credited the team’s cohesive program and system, highlighting their collective effort and perseverance as key factors in their success.
“We are a solid team and we trust each other. Whatever may be lacking in our program and system, we support each other and work together, patiently persevering with each other,” added Tubino.
The one-hour, 33-minute triumph propelled Choco Mucho to the forefront of the standings with a pristine 2-0 record and five points, creating a notable gap between the Flying Titans and contenders the Cool Smashers and the Petro Gazz Angels, both tied at 1-1 after Creamline’s four-set triumph over Petro Gazz earlier in the day.
Despite their current advantage, the Flying Titans must overcome another obstacle in the form of the Angels in their keenly awaited showdown on Sunday to guarantee a spot in the finals, aiming for redemption after narrowly missing out on the title to the Cool Smashers in the previous conference.
Rondina led the charge with 18 points, all on attacks, while Maddie Madayag, Isa Molde, Cherry Nunag and Mars Alba combined for 19 points. The entire team also showcased a resolute defense that created numerous scoring opportunities and their collective effort limited Chery Tiggo’s main scorer, Eya Laure, to nine points, as she struggled to find her rhythm majority of the match.
In the late stages of the third frame, Laure staged a spirited comeback, putting the team back into the match with three consecutive points to narrow the gap to 22-23. Her final spike, amidst a heated exchange of hits and digs, showed her determination to keep Chery Tiggo in the hunt.
However, Tubino, who had earlier delivered her own version of a scoring spree to give the Flying Titans a 23-19 advantage, unloaded another powerful blast. The force behind Tubino’s hit caused Cess Robles of Chery Tiggo to scramble towards the ringside section, narrowly avoiding injury as she pursued the ball, nearly colliding with the rails.
Despite Chery Tiggo’s efforts to stay in contention, including another point from Laure, Choco Mucho ultimately sealed the victory as Pauline Gaston’s serve went long, handing the decisive point to the Flying Titans.
The victory likewise booted out Chery Tiggo from the finals race.
Cza Carandang top-scored for Chery Tiggo with 10 points while EJ Laure matched her sister’s output and Aby Maraño scored five markers and Ara Galang finished with just four points, the same output put in by Gaston.
