Flying Titans’ Epic Fightback Secures No. 5 Seed

Choco Mucho underscored its playoff readiness with a straight-set victory over Chery Tiggo, 25-18, 25-23, 26-24, highlighted by a thrilling second-set comeback in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the City of Passi Arena in Iloilo on Saturday night.

The win marked Choco Mucho’s eighth victory against three losses, placing it in a tie with Cignal HD Spikers and PLDT High Speed Hitters. However, Cignal secured the No. 3 seed with a superior total points tally, while PLDT settled for No. 4, pushing the Flying Titans to No. 5.

Chery Tiggo finished with a 5-6 record, tying with Farm Fresh and Akari, but the Foxies and Chargers edged the Crossovers in the tiebreak to claim the No. 6 and No. 7 seeds, respectively.

As a result, Choco Mucho and Chery Tiggo will face off again in a crucial one-game qualifying round. Other matchups include No. 3 Cignal vs. No. 10 Galeries Tower and No. 4 PLDT vs. No. 9 ZUS Coffee.

The Flying Titans’ rematch against the Crossovers will test whether momentum can trump the unpredictability of do-or-die volleyball, set to begin Thursday at Philsports Arena in Pasig.

At the top of the bracket, No. 1 Creamline will battle No. 12 Nxled, while No. 2 Petro Gazz collides with No. 11 Capital1. Rounding out the qualifying round, No. 6 Farm Fresh and No. 7 Akari will square off for a spot in the next phase.

Sisi Rondina led Choco Mucho with 20 points, while Isa Molde delivered 15 points. Dindin Manabat contributed eight markers, while Mars Alba, Royse Tubino and Cherry Nunag combined for 10 points in the team’s one-hour, 36-minute victory.

“I told my players that no matter what happens, we need to win this game because it will be a huge help for us in the next round,” Choco Mucho head coach Dante Alinsunurin said in Filipino.

“They responded well in the first set, but they became a bit complacent in the next two. Still, we managed to get the win, and I’m really thankful for their performance,” he added. “This is a big boost for the next round.”

Rondina emphasized the need for greater focus, saying in Filipino: “I’m really happy that even when we had moments of relaxation, we were able to bounce back quickly. However, that’s something we need to work on—making sure we don’t become complacent.”

Ara Galang paced Chery Tiggo with nine points, while Cess Robles added eight markers, Pauline Gaston had seven points, and Seth Rodriguez and Alina Bicar chipped in three each.

While Choco Mucho controlled most of the match, its second-set comeback highlighted its resilience.

Trailing 19-22 after a crucial block on Tubino, the Flying Titans flipped the script with a stunning 6-1 run. Rondina ignited the rally with a crosscourt missile and a through-the-block hit, while Nunag’s clutch kill block on Gaston tied the set at 22-all.

A service ace from Alba and another Rondina strike pushed Choco Mucho ahead, leaving Chery Tiggo scrambling. Despite a late point from Robles, the Crossovers couldn’t regain momentum, with Shaya Adorador’s attack hitting the net to hand the set to Choco Mucho.

The drama extended into the third set as Chery Tiggo fended off multiple match points to force an extension. But when it mattered most, the Flying Titans delivered.

Rondina unleashed a crucial kill to bring Choco Mucho to match point before Manabat redeemed herself from an earlier miscue, sealing the victory with a decisive shot.

The thrilling finish sent the Choco Mucho-supporting crowd into a frenzy, capping off an electrifying night in Passi City.

Choco Mucho dominated Chery Tiggo in spikes, 45-26, despite an inconsistent performance that gifted the Crossovers 28 free points. The Flying Titans also capitalized on 22 points off Chery Tiggo’s miscues.

High Speed Hitters Dominate Thunderbelles

PLDT reinforced its title contender status with a commanding sweep of ZUS Coffee, 25-20, 25-16, 25-15, on Saturday, securing the No. 4 seed in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.

Riding high after their upset of unbeaten Creamline, the High Speed Hitters showcased their firepower, led by Savi Davison’s 17-point effort, following her career-high 34 against the defending champions last week.

Supported by Majoy Baron (10), Erika Santos (8), Mika Reyes (7) and Fiola Ceballos (4), PLDT overwhelmed the youthful Thunderbelles before a packed City of Passi Arena crowd, closing the prelims with an 8-3 record.

Now set for a knockout rematch with ZUS Coffee (4-7, No. 9 seed), PLDT holds a clear edge. However, in do-or-die matches, anything can happen.

The qualifying round begins Thursday, with six winners advancing to the best-of-three quarterfinals, while the losers will battle in a play-in tournament for the final two spots.

PLDT head coach Rald Ricafort expressed satisfaction with his team’s straight-set victory.

“Our mindset is to perform well for our next opponent,” he said, emphasizing the need to avoid complacency.

Davison echoed the sentiment: “We’re happy to end the round with a win and carry the momentum into the playoffs.”

PLDT turned a tightly contested third set—featuring six early deadlocks—into a show of dominance. An Angge Alcantara 1-2 play ignited an 8-2 run, pushing PLDT to a 14-8 lead.

ZUS Coffee fought back, briefly cutting the deficit with Thea Gagate’s putaway, but PLDT quickly regained control. A relentless surge, capped by a Majoy Baron quick attack, sealed the win in just one hour, 16 minutes.

Chai Troncoso led ZUS Coffee with nine points, while Michelle Gamit and Thea Gagate finished with eight and six, respectively.

The High Speed Hitters dominated in all facets, outscoring ZUS Coffee in spikes (43-30), blocks (7-3) and serves (5-4). They also capitalized on 20 Thunderbelles errors while committing just 14.

Libero Kath Arado anchored the defense with 16 excellent digs and five receptions.

“We were all ready because we prepared for ZUS as a team, with each one focused,” Arado said.

PLDT now sets its sights on deeper playoff contention, with the title chase heating up in the next round.