Choco Mucho Flying Titans celebrate a point against PLDT High Speed Hitters in the PVL All-Filipino Conference quarterfinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Pulling off those five-setter victories have become a familiar sight for the Choco Mucho Flying Titans.
Down by four at the onset of the deciding frame, the Flying Titans carried out another scintillating fightback to repulse the PLDT High Speed Hitters, 25-15, 12-25, 25-23, 21-25, 15-13, and seize a semifinal spot in the PVL All Filipino Conference.
HIGHLIGHTS: PVL All-Filipino quarterfinals – Choco Mucho vs PLDT, Akari vs Galeries
Sisi Rondina dealt the death blow—a crosscourt kill to PLDT’s backrow—that preserved a magnificent output of 21 points all game long as the Flying Titans swept their favored foes in the race-to-two quarterfinals.
“We were already exhausted to be honest. But we never gave up and fought it out until the end,’’ said Rondina in Filipino after delivering 18 attacks, 18 receptions and two aces.
Mars Alba did exceptionally well, too, with 22 excellent sets, but her smash on the side of the net that broke a 13 deadlock in the fifth proved to be the game-changer.
Sisi Rondina and the Choco Mucho Flying Titans in the PVL All-Filipino Conference quarterfinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIREr.neti
“I gained confidence since I’ve been practicing those spikes in training,’’ said Alba who likewise contributed seven points and two aces.
Winning seven five-setters in a row this conference, the Flying Titans weathered Savi Davison’s 34-point outbreak and capitalized on the errors of the enemy in the end.
Honey Royse Tubino was also instrumental, contributing 15 points built around 13 attacks, had 13 digs and two blocks while Isa Molde and Maika Ortiz added eight and seven points apiece.
“We were really eager to return to the semifinals. For now, we will wait for our next opponent and scout them,’’ said Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin.
READ: PVL: Sisi Rondina, Choco Mucho show mighty grit in comeback win
The Flying Titans got off to a flying start by quickly seizing the opening frame, but the High Speed Hitters responded vigorously in the next, leveling the field approaching the third set.
Rondina and Molde rushed to push Choco Mucho ahead by four in Set 2 with Molde and Ortiz providing backup as they bumped up their advantage to seven.
Fiola Mae Ceballos and Erika Santos didn’t lose hope and conspired in cutting down a 22-15 deficit with a variety of hits capped by a Ceballos crosscourt strike that shifted the tide in their favor.
Rondina, however, stopped the PLDT rally by driving her spike between two defenders at set point, allowing them to reclaim the edge.
Davison connived with Santos in setting the tone for the equalizer as the Speed Hitters built a six-point cushion on a Davison crosscourt smash.
Majoy Baron flying attack down the middle and a block on Cherry Nunag put them closer, 22-17, before Davison’s back-to-back projectiles brought the match to the limit.
Davison led them to a 4-0 start in the deciding fifth, but the high-scoring opposite hitter committed three consecutive attack errors that knotted the count at 5.
Following a long furious exchange of firepower, Davison forced the last deadlock at 13 before with a down-the-line smash before Alba conspired with Deanna Wong and Rondina to finish off the higher-seeded High Speed Hitters.