Unable to complete the sweep against Capital1, Choco Mucho rebounded from a grueling third-set defeat with renewed determination, dominating the fourth set to secure a 25-20, 26-24, 26-28, 25-9 victory in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the FilOil EcoOil Arena on Thursday night.
In a stunning turnaround, the Flying Titans shook off the disappointment of losing an extended third set. Despite overcoming an 11-18 deficit and earning a match point, they faltered late, allowing the Solar Spikers to snatch the set.
However, rather than letting the setback derail them, the Flying Titans channeled their frustration into a blistering fourth-set performance. They surged to an early 12-3 lead and never relinquished control, dictating the pace and finishing the match in dominant fashion.
The fourth set showcased Choco Mucho’s solid all-around play, highlighted by its sharp reception, which set up precise offensive plays. In contrast, Capital1 struggled significantly in their own reception, allowing the Flying Titans to capitalize with service aces and create a one-sided conclusion to what had been a tightly contested match.
Sisi Rondina, who earned Player of the Game honors with an impressive 23 points, including four blocks, credited their exceptional reception as the key to their fourth-set dominance.
“We strengthened our reception in the fourth set, and my teammates really stepped up,” said Rondina in Filipino.
Despite securing their second straight win – following a five-set thriller against Galerie Tower after a season-opening loss to Petro Gazz – Rondina emphasized that the team remains a work in progress.
“There’s still a lot we need to improve and work on. We’ll continue to grind,” she added.
The Solar Spikers fell to 0-2.
Royse Tubino backed Rondina with 12 points, while Dindin Manabat added 11 markers in a dominant three-set performance. Cherry Nunag, Isa Molde, and Kat Tolentino also contributed with eight, seven and six points, respectively, helping secure the two-hour and one-minute victory.
Leila Cruz topscored for Capital1 with 16 points but struggled with multiple hitting errors. Jorelle Singh and Heather Guino-O chipped in with 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Niegos finished with eight markers.
After squandering a huge lead and dropping the second set, Capital1 managed to overcome another major meltdown in the third set, this time displaying resilience and composure to prevail in an extended duel.
With Cruz and Guino-o leading the charge, the Solar Spikers dug deep to escape with a hard-earned victory in the frame.
Facing the prospect of a straight-set loss after Singh’s errant attack at 23-24, the Solar Spikers turned to Niegos, who delivered back-to-back points off overpasses. However, their hopes of sealing the set early were dashed when Manabat denied Guino-o at the net with a crucial block, extending the match.
Capital1 regained the advantage on another Choco Mucho miscue – Manabat’s second service error in the set – but Tubino responded with a clever block-touch hit to push the set further into a nail-biting finale.
With nerves running high, it was Cruz who rose to the occasion, breaking through a double block from Choco Mucho to edge Capital1 closer to victory. In the decisive moment, Guino-o unleashed a pinpoint down-the-line attack after a tense rally of exchanges, finally securing the set and giving the Solar Spikers a lifeline.
However, the third set turned out to be the Solar Spikers’ final show of strength, as they entered the fourth frame looking like a spent force.
