GAMES SATURDAY
(Ynares Center Antipolo)
4 p.m. — Petro Gazz vs. Zus Coffee
6:30 p.m. — Creamline vs. Chery Tiggo
DISPLAYING grit and composure when it mattered most, Choco Mucho punched its ticket to the semis of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference by outlasting PLDT yesterday 25-15, 12-25, 25-23, 21-25, 15-13 at the PhilSports Arena.
The Flying Titans completed a sweep of the High Speed Hitters in their best-of-three quarterfinals battle open spiker Sisi Rondina delivering a double-double outing of 21 points and 18 excellent receptions while game-hero Mars Alba, who pushed Choco Mucho at match point in a crucial attack, tallied 22 excellent sets and seven points.
Opposite spiker Honey Royse Tubino also had a double-double performance of 15 points and 13 digs while open hitter Isa Molde added eight markers and caught 15 digs in the two-hour and 29-minute showdown.
“Unang-una sa performance ng players, talagang hindi sila bumigay. Gusto talaga nilang makabalik sa semifinals. Sobra talagang thankful ako sa performance nila. Di naman sa players din, kundi sa coaches din kanina. Sobrang pinag-usapan talaga kung ano ba iyong dapat naming gawin na adjustment hanggang sa nakita namin na pwede palang pumalo si Mars,” Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin said.
Rondina, who had been denied in two previous attempts, delivered the decisive blow, scoring the match-winning point against two PLDT defenders. Overcome with emotion, she collapsed to the floor, hands covering her face – a fleeting moment of triumph, passion and relief.
The victory extended Choco Mucho’s unbeaten record in five-set matches to 6-0 and marked a redemption arc for the Flying Titans, who struggled at the start of the record six-month-long conference.
Setter Mars Alba, who played a crucial role in the team’s comeback from a 0-2 set deficit (20-25, 19-25, 25-15, 25-20, 18-16) in their opening quarterfinals match last Saturday, encapsulated their journey from the eliminations to the semis.
“Grabe! Kudos to our team and coaches. We started from the bottom, and now we’re here!” she exclaimed after earning another Best Player of the Game award.
Alba orchestrated the Flying Titans’ offense with 22 excellent sets and contributed a surprising seven-point performance, including a clutch off-speed attack that broke a tense 13-all count in the final set.
