BACARRA, ILOCOS NORTE — Choco Mucho head coach Coach Oliver rued the Flying Titans’ lack of maturity following the loss to Creamline on Thursday night.
Choco Mucho looked like the better team right from the get-go, surging past Creamline to take a 1-0 advantage before fumbling down the second set as the Cool Smashers dominated all throughout to lock the game at 1-all.
The Flying Titans managed to regain composure in the third set to take a 2-1 advantage. However, things started to look shaky once more after surrendering the fourth set despite leading early.
“Alam naman natin yung Creamline three years na ‘yan magkakasama, intact, tapos yung mga nadagdag na players malalakas,” said Almadro after the painful loss.
“So they’re really an intact team and veteran team.”
Creamline went on to take the fifth set to clinch its semis ticket through a hard-fought, 18-25, 25-9, 21-25, 25-18, 15-6 win over the once league-leading Choco Mucho.
There’s nothing Almadro could do but charge it to experience.
After all, the Flying Titans will have to move on quickly as they have one of the hardest, if not already the hardest schedule of all the teams in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference.
“So siguro kulang pa kami sa maturity as a team, as a professional team, kulang pa kami sa maturity though magkakasama na sila. Iba pa rin yung level of maturity kapag ka pro league e iba yung maturity dito,” said the Spikers’ Turf’s only triple crown champion coach.
“So we accept it. My team played well, but they played better. So siguro we have to learn na hindi puwedeng base skills lang dapat pairalin yung maturity, kailangan pairalin pa rin yung team work at cohesiveness which is yun ang lamang ng Creamline. They’re a veteran team, they are intact, ilan ang national player diyan, tapos yung second six nila puwedeng lang first six na e so talagang kumpletong team sila.”
With the league forced to compress its schedule, Choco Mucho took the biggest blow as they are scheduled for two consecutive games and possibly more if they go deep in the semifinals.
“Well, kailangan talaga mental toughness and kailangan yung strength and energy ma-sustain and ito na yung talagang sinasabi namin,” said Almadro.
“We really have to ask the Lord for strength, the Lord will give us strength. Yun ang panghahawakan namin.”
