Choco Mucho left everything on the court but eventually ran out of steam, leading to its defeat against Vietnam 2 in five sets, 18-25, 25-18, 12-25, 25-22, 15-5 on Friday at Lao Cai Gymnasium.
As a result, the Flying Titans now find themselves in the Battle for Bronze of the 2023 VTV Cup.
Despite a sluggish start, the Flying Titans managed to even the match at one set apiece with an equally dominant second frame. However, their performance took another dip as the Vietnamese squad repeatedly capitalized on their weaknesses during the third period, moving a step closer to the gold medal match with a set score of 25-12.
Then, Des Cheng emerged, showcasing her ability to thrive in crucial moments. With Choco Mucho holding a delicate one-point lead of 23-22, Cheng unleashed back-to-back precise serves that Vietnam struggled to handle, resulting in aces that pushed the match to a deciding set.
In the final set, Vietnam 2 demonstrated their pedigree and composure, maintaining their cool under pressure and securing victory with a score of 15-5.
The same Vietnamese team had narrowly escaped a defeat against the Flying Titans just three nights earlier, with a scoreline of 20-25, 26-28, 25-21, 25-20, 15-9.
Vietnam 2 is set to face off against the Tran Thi Thanh Thuy-led Vietnam 1 in the championship match scheduled for Saturday at 8 p.m. (Manila time).
On the other hand, Choco Mucho aims to secure a podium spot in the bronze medal game against Japan’s Kansai University at 6 p.m. The team, coached by Dante Alinsunurin, had already defeated the Japanese squad in the round-robin eliminations with scores of 25-17, 25-23, 19-25, 25-22.
