Cheng gets sweet time to regain groove

Choco Mucho’s Des Cheng in action against F2 Logistics in the PVL Invitational Conference. –PVL PHOTO

Dante Alinsunurin will be breaking in Des Cheng slowly, knowing the full impact that the all-around hitter can give Choco Mucho heading into the new PVL season that starts on Nov. 9.

“She has joined training and is participating almost full time again,” Alinsunurin said in Filipino, referring to Cheng, who sat out the past season because of an ACL tear. “I’m not going to rush her, for the most important thing for me is for her to get her groove back.”

This year’s All-Filipino will run for a back-breaking six months, making health a premium for every team.

All team managers will meet on Thursday to discuss with the league how they will tackle the six-month window of the tournament.

Cheng coming out of injury bay is a big boost to the Flying Titans, who will be without erstwhile skipper Maddie Madayag, the middle blocker who decided to take her act to Japan after last season.

“Getting [Cheng] back is a big boost, because we lost a leader in Maddie,” Alinsunurin went on. “I’m expecting her (Cheng) to step up as one of the leaders of this team.”

Never champions

Choco Mucho is probably the second most popular squad in the league after Creamline. But the difference between the two teams is the titles won, with the Flying Titans only having just two bridesmaid finishes to the Cool Smashers to show after a long participation.

They hope for that to change when the All-Filipino Conference rolls on in two weeks, as Sisi Rondina, the MVP last season, will be returning from Alas Pilipinas duties to assume her role as the team’s top gun.

Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Kat Tolentino, Isa Molde and Royse Tubino are Alinsunurin’s other top weapons together with defensive whiz Cherry Nunag, who will also return after serving flag and country like Rondina.

Creamline is the defending champion, and the Cool Smashers are also expected to be back in full force with Tots Carlos and Alyssa Valdez hopefully recovering from different injuries and Jema Galanza also returning from the national team.

Galanza had already played the last two Creamline games in the Reinforced Conference, where the Cool Smashers, bannered by Erica Staunton, won their ninth title at the expense of the Cignal HD Spikers.

Meanwhile, reigning Open Conference champion Cignal makes its highly anticipated debut in the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference on Tuesday, clashing with Chichi DHTSI at Santa Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna.

The 4 p.m. showdown between VNS and Savouge starts the league’s first out-of-town games before Cignal and Chichi take the floor starting 6 p.m. at the earliest. INQ