Refusing to falter twice, Choco Mucho came out with fire and focus, dispatching Akari in four hard-fought sets, 25-18, 25-22, 26-28, 25-19, to seize the upper hand in the 2024–25 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference bronze medal series on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Flying Titans looked poised for a commanding start in the series opener, racing to a 2-0 lead, only to watch it all unravel as the Chargers mounted a spirited comeback en route to a 26-24, 25-21, 15-25, 18-25, 11-15 triumph last Tuesday.
But on this night, Choco Mucho refused to let history repeat itself.
Playing with unwavering resolve, they left no room for doubt, powering past Akari in four sets — a crucial win that could very well hand them the bronze medal via superior match points, should the Finals clash between Petro Gazz and Creamline reach its conclusion today.
After narrowly dropping the extended third set, the Flying Titans responded with a statement in the fourth frame of Game 2.
Clinging to a slim 14-11 edge, they unleashed a momentum-shifting 4-0 run — sparked by Sisi Rondina’s relentless attacks, as she scored on back-to-back hits. Then Mars Alba delivered a pinpoint ace and Royse Tubino capped it off with a sharp cross-court kill, stretching their lead to 17-11.
The Chargers made one final push, with Steph Bustrillo, Ivy Lacsina, and Eli Soyud combining efforts in a spirited 4-1 rally that trimmed the deficit to just four, 19-23.
But their late surge fell short, as Sisi Rondina slammed the door shut with back-to-back kills, putting the exclamation point on Choco Mucho’s bounce-back win that snapped a four-game losing streak.
(C) PVL Images
“Sa wakas, nanalo din kami ngayon (mula semis) tsaka itong battle for third. Sobrang — alam mo ‘yun, sobrang down talaga kami nung pagkatalo namin sa semis na alam namin na may chance kami. Pero hindi natin masabi dahil talagang bago kami pumunta ng semis, talagang nagkulang nanaman yung player namin, nagkulang kami,” said Flying Titans head coach Dante Alinsunurin.
“Pero siyempre, hindi ko namang kailangan doon sisihin. Ang importante lang ngayon, naka-recover kami, and sana magtuloy-tuloy kami sa Game 3 namin, sa panalo ngayon,” he added.
Rondina, coming off an 18-point performance in Game 1, elevated her game even further. She fired a staggering 26 points — 25 of which came from her powerful attacks — in a gritty and hard-fought victory.
Tubino provided stellar support, adding 17 points and an equal number of excellent digs, while Isa Molde dazzled with her all-around brilliance, contributing 12 points and 14 exceptional digs.
Meanwhile, Cherry Nunag also made her presence felt, tallying 11 points, including two kill blocks, to help seal the win for Choco Mucho.
Deanna Wong, who was replaced by Mars Alba at the start of the fourth frame, orchestrated the offense, delivering 17 perfect sets alongside three points.
Thang Ponce showcased her defensive prowess, registering an impressive 27 excellent receptions to anchor the backline.
(C) PVL Images
On the other hand, Akari could not replicate the same feat they accomplished in the opener, running out of gas as early as the fourth set, unable to keep up with the relentless pace of the Flying Titans.
Soyud led a well-rounded offensive charge for the Chargers, scoring 16 points, while Lacsina contributed 15 points, including 13 attacks and two blocks, along with 12 excellent receptions.
Grethcel Soltones delivered a remarkable triple-double performance, finishing with 15 points, 12 exceptional digs, and 22 excellent receptions, while Ced Domingo added 10 points in the hard-fought loss.
At the helm of the offense was Michelle Cobb, dishing out 20 excellent sets, while Justine Jazareno solidified the defense with a stellar 22 excellent digs.
