Mean Mendrez was the spark Choco Mucho had been searching for all along.
The 5-foot-10 outside hitter, coming off a knee procedure before the 2024 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference, shone brightly when head coach Dante Alinsunurin inserted her into the starting lineup.
Lagging in the standings at 1-4 and on a two-game skid, Mendrez catalyzed the Flying Titans with a team-high 18 points on 14 attacks, two blocks, and two aces.
And her performance led her team to a 25-16, 25-11, 23-25, 19-25, 15-12 win against Chery Tiggo on Tuesday.
Before this contest, Mendrez had only played spot minutes against Akari and wasn’t utilized in their other four matches.
“For me lang po, super laking bagay sa akin na pagkatiwalaan ng coaches and siyempre yung teammates ko na laging nandyan sa likod ko na feel na feel kong nakasuporta sila,” said Mendrez after her breakout game.
“Always lang na kung sino nandyan, kailangan mag-step up talaga pag binigyan ng chance ng coaches mo. Sa training pa lang, malaki yung binigay na tiwala ng coaches lately,” she added.
(C) PVL Images
Stepping up has been the mantra for the Flying Titans this conference, as they are missing their biggest star, Sisi Rondina, due to Alas Pilipinas commitments.
Also unavailable due to national team duties is middle blocker Cherry Nunag.
Greek import Zoi Faki has also been producing modest numbers so far compared to her counterparts on other teams.
Meanwhile, Alinsunurin was pleased to finally see the Mendrez they had signed back in January.
The University of the East product was part of the PLDT High Speed Hitters before switching to Choco Mucho at the start of the 2024 season.
“Si Mean naman talaga, any time naman yan. Kaya lang, talagang nung una medyo nag-doubt ako dahil sa kundisyon niya. Pero ngayon, nung nakita ko na nag-step up na siya at ginagawa niya na talaga yung – tuwing practice nag-all-out na siya – sabi ko, time na talaga niya para magamit,” said Alinsunurin.
Toting a 2-4 record, Choco Mucho aims to end the crossover round at 4-4 for a higher chance of entering the quarterfinals.
For that to happen, they need to beat Creamline and PLDT – but as Mendrez has shown, they can step it up.
