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.
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.
