Choco Mucho cops VTV Cup bronze as Sisi Rondina, Maddie Madayag win awards

FILE–Choco Mucho Flying Titans. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Choco Mucho is bringing home a bronze medal with Sisi Rondina bagging the Best Outside Spiker award and Maddie Madayag copping the Best Middle Blocker in the VTV Cup 2023 on Saturday in Lao Cai, Vietnam.

Rondina unleashed 24 points as the Flying Titans took down Japan’s Kansai University, 25-20, 23-25, 25-13, 25-18, to clinch third place.

The former UAAP MVP out of University of Santo Tomas scored all her points from her 44 attack attempts. Madayag was also instrumental with 16 points including two blocks and a pair of aces, while Caitlin Viray added 13 points.

It was a collective effort for Choco Mucho with setter Deanna Wong dictating the pace as Cherry Nunag contributed 11 points including three blocks. Des Cheng fired four aces to finish with eight markers.

The Premier Volleyball League club finished the tournament with four wins out of seven games including a heartbreaking five-set loss to Vietnam 2 in the semifinals.

Aside from the bronze medal for the Dante Alinsunurin-coached squad, Rondina was named as one of the Best Outside Spikers with Japan’s Hikaru Tamura.

Madayag was also one of the Best Middle Blockers in the tournament with Le Than Thuy of Vietnam 2.

Vietnam 1 ruled the tournament with Tran Thi Than Thuy winning the Most Valuable Player and her teammates Doan Thi Lam Oanh and Hoang Thi Kieu Trinh bagging the Best Setter and Best Opposite Spiker awards, respectively.

Vietnam 2 settled for silver with Le Thi Thanh Lien earning the Best Libero.

Choco Mucho is seeking to rise from a seventh-place finish in the Invitational Conference and looking to end its semis drought in the PVL after missing the Final Four of the past four tournaments.