Choco Mucho made a strong comeback, pushing Australia to the brink of elimination with a 25-15, 25-23, 25-10 victory in the 2023 VTV Cup at the Lao Cai Gymnasium in Vietnam on Monday.
The Flying Titans improved their record to 2-1 after suffering a straight-sets loss to Vietnam 1 yesterday.
After gaining a 2-0 advantage, Choco Mucho wasted no time in dispatching the Australians. It surged to a 15-2 lead, propelled by the efforts of Isa Molde, Sisi Rondina, and Kat Tolentino.
The Rebisco-backed squad maintained their dominance from that point onward, leading by as much as 16 points (22-6) through an Australian attack error on their way to securing their second victory of the tournament.
The Flying Titans pulled ahead midway through the first set, resulting in a nine-point advantage (23-14) following an off-the-block hit from Rondina and an ace from Caitlyn Viray.
Although Australia scored a point, a net touch from their side put Choco Mucho at set point (24-15). Rondina then unleashed a powerful pipe attack to give her team an early 1-0 advantage.
The Australians managed to stay close in the second set, trailing by just one point (22-23) in the latter part following a crucial service error from Viray. However, Rondina followed up with an off-the-block hit to push the Flying Titans to set point.
Mikaela Stevens attempted to keep Australia afloat with a drop, but Rondina answered back with a back-row attack that put the Filipinas ahead 2-0.
Choco Mucho will go up against Vietnam 2 on Tuesday at 6:00 PM at the same venue.
