After a promising debut win, the Choco Mucho Flying Titans suffered a straight-set loss to the Petro Gazz Angels in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
The defeat, however, hasn't dampened the spirits of the team's head coach Dante Alinsunurin, who sees it as just the beginning of a long transition process.
In his first year as head coach, Alinsunurin has taken the reins from former head coach Oliver Almadro and is working to establish a new system for the team. The loss to the Angels was a reminder of the challenges that lie ahead, but Alinsunurin remains optimistic.
"Of course, it's sad to lose, but when we talked about it and the management agreed, is that we know we're not in a rush. I explained to them that we're just starting," said Alinsunurin.
The team's performance on the service line and defensive end proved to be the difference maker in the loss. Choco Mucho had 58 digs, 20 receptions, and two aces in the three sets, but it wasn't enough to secure a win.
Alinsunurin stressed that the team must be consistent in their efforts on the court to prevent similar setbacks from happening again.
"Our problem inside the court was our service receive. It was off, and our percentage was low. Now, what we want to happen on the court we can't do because of the low percentage in our serve and receive," said Alinsunurin.
"We need to be consistent in what we're doing. We're just starting. Whatever situation we find ourselves in, we need to accept and study it to see what we need to do next," he added.
Kat Tolentino was the Flying Titans' top scorer with 14 points, while Des Cheng followed with nine markers and 11 excellent digs. Denden Lazaro-Revilla collected 19 excellent digs and seven excellent receptions.
Despite the loss, Alinsunurin remains focused on the team's long-term goals and encourages his players to not be pressured by the situation.
"I told them not to be pressured by the situation because what we really want is to play and improve the team," said Alinsunurin.
