RECIPIENT of countless Player of the Game honors, Deanna Wong still found herself overcome with emotions after anchoring Choco Mucho’s sudden death victory over Cignal for the other finals berth last Tuesday.
Not only did the triumph grant the Flying Titans a breakthrough pass to a Premier Volleyball League finals after eight conferences but also positioned them to vie for the league’s most prestigious title.
The best-of-three All-Filipino Conference title playoff unfolds at 6 tonight at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City with Choco Mucho considered the clear underdog against sister team and six-time champion Creamline.
But the Flying Titans are more than ready and motivated to surpass expectations, determined to make the most of their rare finals appearance in the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.
“Finally, nakapasok na kami sa championship round. First conference pa lang nakita namin talaga yung naging paghihirap nung team. Sa second conference, talagang nagbunga yung paghihirap namin, even the coaching staff and the management na lagi kaming gina-guide sa lahat ng ginagawa naming,” said Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin after leading the team to a 25-20, 23-25, 26-24, 25-23 win over the Cignal HD Spikers in Game 3 of their semis face-off.
“Siguro talagang lumabas lang yung kagustuhan namin na manalo at makuha yung Game 3. Kita naman sa mga pinag-trabahuhan ng mga bata, talagang nagbunga yung pagod naming,” added Alinsunurin, while acknowledging the team’s hardships and collective efforts that led to their historic finals stint.
Funny but the two teams that ushered in the All-Filipino last Oct. 15 are also closing out the second edition of the league’s centerpiece tournament this year.
While Creamline, which swept Chery Tiggo in their side of the semis playoff, boasts of experience and endgame poise, Choco Mucho relies on its hunger and desire to overcome the obstacles blocking its path to league immortality.
“We aim to elevate our performance even more to achieve our ultimate goal – win the championship,” said Creamline mentor Sherwin Meneses, whose wards are two wins away from completing another sweep of a PVL championship.
In 2019, the Cool Smashers won all their 20 games to claim the Open Conference diadem.
The title series is also expected to be a duel of plays and wits between setters Wong and Kyle Negrito, who play pivotal roles in controlling the flow of each match.
Wong has been instrumental in the Flying Titans’ remarkable campaign, dishing out superb playmaking skills and effectively distributing passes to key players like Sisi Rondina, Kat Tolentino, Isa Molde, Maddie Madayag, Aduke Ogunsanya, Bea de Leon and Cherry Nunag.
“Our goal is to win the championship. We worked hard for this and it’s all about team work,” said Wong, whose 24-excellent showing powered the team past the HD Spikers.
On the other side, Negrito has skillfully filled the void left by Jia de Guzman, facilitating plays for Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza, Alyssa Valdez, Michele Gumabao, Pangs Panaga and Risa Sato all throughout their unbeaten run.
Blocking will also be crucial for the two teams’ title drive but the battle is expected to hinge on execution, especially in the end-stretches of each set.
While Creamline, which beat Choco Mucho in four in the elims and never wavered, remains the favorite, the Flying Titans aim to buck overwhelming odds and achieve the ultimate goal of winning the championship.
Cignal and Chery Tiggo, meanwhile, start their own series for the bronze at 4 p.m.
Games in the tournament, backed by Bola.TV, Beyond Active Wear, ASICS and Mikasa, can be streamed live on PVL.ph and Pilipinas Live and telecast on OneSports and OneSportsPlus.
Games Thursday
(SM MOA Arena, Pasay)
4 p.m. – Chery Tiggo vs Cignal
(Best-of-3 for 3rd)
6 p.m. – Creamline vs Choco Mucho (Best-of-3 for title)
