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The Choco Mucho Flying Titans. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – No meltdowns this time.
Choco Mucho stormed past Akari in four sets, 25-18, 25-22, 27-29, 25-19, to equalize the bronze medal series of the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference on Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
The Dante Alinsunurin-coached squad made sure to avert disaster this time, avoiding a repeat of the opener when the Flying Titans squandered a 2-0 lead en route to a five-set loss.
READ: PVL: Akari stuns Choco Mucho via reverse sweep to draw first blood in battle for bronze
Having won in four sets has merits, as the Flying Titans are now ahead in the battle for bronze over the Chargers, who won in five frames during Game 1.
In case Petro Gazz closes out the Finals later in the day, the Flying Titans will be granted the bronze medal, their third podium finish in three straight All-Filipino Conferences.
READ: PVL: Petro Gazz secures Finals berth, sends Akari to bronze match
If sister team Creamline forces an all-or-nothing match on Saturday, the bronze series will also be stretched out — Game 3 will be played.
But for Rondina, she was just happy to have halted a series of heartbreaks after going 0-3 in the semifinals and succumbing in the opener of the bronze medal showdown.
Before that, they had a league-best 10-game winning run which spanned from the preliminaries up to the quarterfinals.
"Nakaka-miss ‘yung ganitong feeling kasi simula nung semis, hindi kami nakatikim ng ganitong panalo," said Rondina.
"Ayun, sabi nga ni coach [Dante Alinsunurin], may nawala, pero nag-step up ‘yung iba. As a captain naman, sinabi ko lang din talaga sa mga kasama ko na kaya nating agawin ‘yun, magtrabaho lang kami," she added.
The Choco Mucho skipper led by example with 26 points on 25 attacks, one block, to go with nine excellent digs and seven excellent receptions.
Royse Tubino delivered 17 points and 17 excellent digs, Isa Molde collected 12 points and 14 excellent digs, while Cherry Nunag added 11 markers to complete the Choco Mucho supporting cast.
Deanna Wong played main setter for the Flying Titans, orchestrating their offense with 17 excellent sets.
Akari had a plenty of decent performers in the four-set loss, as Eli Soyud dropped 16 points, Grethcel Soltones and Ivy Lacsina had 15 points each to go with 22 and 12 excellent receptions respectively, while Ced Domingo notched 10 markers.
Despite the third frame being stolen by the Lacsina-paced Chargers in an extended period, the Flying Titans were able to regroup in the fourth and final frame.
Only a close 7-6 ballgame, the Rondina-captained squad pulled away with a 6-2 run for a slim lead they held comfortably until the end of the match.
Choco Mucho cruised to a seven-point, 17-10 lead in Set 2, but that proved to be unsafe as the Chargers eventually knotted the game at 22-all, highlighted by a reaching beyond the net challenge late in the period to which the Flying Titans disputed after it went into the Chargers' favor.
But the Flying Titans responded well after that, shaking off the tension by unleashing three unanswered points courtesy of Nunag and Rondina's clutch hits for a 2-0 lead.
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