Choco Mucho showed unwavering control and prowess in pursuit of perfection, overpowering Chery Tiggo, 25-16, 25-19, 25-23, and securing the No. 2 seeding in the semifinal round of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the University of San Agustin Gymnasium in Iloilo Saturday night.
The Flying Titans displayed exceptional hitting, finishing with 48 attack points, led by Sisi Rondina’s 13 and Maddie Madayag’s nine, against the Crossovers’ 38 to underscore the team’s dominance throughout the one-hour, 23-minute encounter.
By flaunting their vaunted firepower, the Flying Titans showcased not just their technical skills but also their strategic brilliance, keeping them on track for a possible crack at a first-ever championship in the league organized by Sports Vision.
“Thankful sa naging performance, kami talaga nag-dictate ng tempo sa first 2 sets,” said Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin. “Sa third set andun din kami, medyo kumapit din ng bandang huli ang team. Masaya kasi lahat ng gusto naming mangyari nakuha namin.”
“It’s the system and the teamwork we have learned during training,” said playmaker Deanna Wong in summing up the team’s unbeaten 10-game run since dropping a four-set defeat to Creamline last Oct. 15.
“We’ll do our best in the semis and let’s see what happens,” added Wong, who produced 24 excellent sets and added three points to clinch the best player of the game honors.
The victory thus capped Choco Mucho’s remarkable surge highlighted by a number shutout wins as they clinched the No. 2 spot in the Final Four.
The Flying Titans will play the No. 3 squad while the Nos. 1 and 4 tangle in a pair of best-of-three semis playoffs. The winners will dispute the championship in another best-of-three affair.
Chery Tiggo wound up its elims campaign with an 8-3 card and will most likely end up at No. 3 for another clash with Choco Mucho.
The diminutive but high-flying Rondina finished with 16 points, including three blocks, while Madayag scored 11 markers, Isa Molde and Cherry Nunag matched eight-point outputs and Kat Tolentino banged in seven points as they anchored the Flying Titan’s victory before a boisterous crowd of close to 6,000 who had braced for a protracted duel between two of the league’s top teams.
But the Flying Titans’ firepower proved too much for the Crossovers to overcome.
Choco Mucho also capitalized on Chery Tiggo’s service reception struggles in the first set, scoring on a couple of aces that helped propel the Flying Titans from a shaky 18-16 lead to a big 24-16 advantage.
The Flying Titans also broke away from a tight contest in the second behind another late surge with Wong’s brilliant playmaking skills guiding the team’s hitters and surprising Chery Tiggo’s defense with strategic plays, including on 1-2 gambits.
Eya Laure did fire 15 points but Mylene Paat and Ces Robles finished with just eight points apiece and Shaya Adorador ended up with four mores and EJ Laure added three points for Chery Tiggo’s losing stand.
