Choco Mucho’s Sisi Rondina.–PVL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Sisi Rondina powered Choco Mucho to survive a five-set thriller against Farm Fresh, 25-15, 24-26, 21-25, 25-21, 15-12 in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Tuesday night at PhilSports Arena.
Rondina was instrumental for the Flying Titans to finish their preliminary assignments strong with 29 points built on 24 attacks apart from a game-high five blocks.
“Grabe yung inimprove ng Farm Fresh ngayon like yung peak nila tumapat talaga sa amin, yung ayaw talaga mag-patalo,” Rondina said as Choco Mucho improved to a 9-2 standing ahead of its semifinal stint.
SCHEDULE: PVL All-Filipino Conference 2024
“Trinabaho lang din talaga namin yung game na yun and hands down talaga ako sa Japanese program nila like ang ganda ng programa nila and sana pag mga ganong sitwasyon kaya namin sumabay,” she added after also registering 18 excellent receptions.
Still filling in the gap left by starting opposite hitter Kat Tolentino, Royse Tubino backstopped Rondina with 16 points, Isa Molde 12 points and Cherry Nunag 10 points as Choco Mucho bounced back from a straight sets defeat at the hands of sister team Creamline.
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“Ngayon pa lang talagang binigyan na kami ng test para pagdating namin sa semifinals ma-maximize namin yung ginagawa namin,” coach Dante Alinsunurin said. “Pero credit sa Farm Fresh, trinabaho talaga nila in terms of skills talaga yung receive nila, talagang dun kami nahirapan kami sa blockings namin tsaka sa pattern namin ng floor defense.”
“Unti-unti na t-tiyaga namin buti na lang dun sa mga player ko na nasa labas, na-maximize din namin kung sino yung pwede namin gamitin sa loob ng court,” he added.
Farm Fresh pushed Choco Mucho to the limit after forcefully taking the second and third sets behind Trisha Tubu’s career-high 32 points.
Kate Santiago was right there with Tubu after scattering 21 points while Rizza Cruz added 12 points.
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“Dalawa [yung natutunan namin] isang negative, isang positive: Una negative parang dapat dun sa sitwasyon namin dapat na-maximize namin nung second set na yun, hindi namin nakuha pero positive naman kasi nakita ko may mga player pa pala ako na pwede ko gamitin pagdating sa mga crucial game,” Alinsunurin said.
Farm Fresh hung on until the final frame before Rondina landed a back-row hit for the lead which Choco Mucho did not relinquish from then on.
Tubu kept the Foxies in step with the Flying Titans with a cross-court attack to decrease the margin to just three as Chinnie Arroyo followed up on that with a kill of her own.
But Rondina had enough as she nailed another hit from the back row to cap off the night.
“Kahit na no bearing yung game na ‘to, ma-maximize pa rin namin kung ano yung kailangan namin pagdating ng semifinals,” Alinsunurin said. “Nasubukan kami, na-test kami kung ano yung dapat namin gawin.
“Siguro magf-focus kami dun sa mga bagay na kailanganin namin pagdating sa dulo ng mga sets.”