By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Cignal and Choco Mucho clash for one last time in Game 3 of their semifinal affair in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
The winner in the thrilling 6 p.m. duel will arrange a championship date with Creamline, which already booked the other finals berth after sweeping its own best-of-three semis affair with Chery Tiggo last Saturday, Dec. 9.
While momentum has shifted to the Flying Titans following their 25-23, 25-22, 25-22 win in Game 2 also last Saturday, the HD Spikers are determined to regain lost bearing and make a repeat performance of their 18-25, 23-25, 25-14, 25-19, 25-10 Game 1 triumph last Dec. 7.
Choco Mucho is already anticipating that mindset from Cignal, having been on the same page where they rode the crest of a 10-game winning streak in the eliminations, only to squander a two-set advantage and lose in Game 1.
“May mga naging problema kami nung Game 1. Kinulang siguro kami sa gutom kasi yung 10 straight wins, siguro nagkumpiyansa kami,” Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin admitted.
“Kaya ang sabi ko sa kanila, paghirapan ulit natin yung panalo. Paghirapan natin yung semis para maganda ang resulta,” he added.
That proved to be the case in Game 2 where the Flying Titans unleashed a different beast from their previous match anchored on Sisi Rondina and Kat Tolentino’s hard-hitting spikes.
The duo combined for 33 of the team’s 48 kills in that one-hour, 33-minute match and went on to sizzle with 23 and 15 points.
Rondina said Game 2’s victory is a learning experience for the squad.
“Confidence booster namin itong pagkapanalo namin sa Game 2. Kailangan yung pagod namin sa training at sa game magbunga kasi nakakapagod na talaga,” Rondina said.
For Kat Tolentino, it boils down to going back to the basics.
“We have to humble ourselves and start all over again,” Tolentino said. “I think the team who will be complacent has the disadvantage and that’s what happened in Game 1. I think Cignal will come back with more fire so we have to be ready for them.”
Aside from Rondina and Tolentino, Choco Mucho also has Maddie Madayag, Isa Molde and Deanna Wong to carry their fight against Cignal’s equally formidable frontline in Ces Molina, Jovelyn Gonzaga and Riri Meneses.
For Cignal, the HD Spikers must re-learn what they did in Game 1, where they were given up for the dead, only to crawl back and win the match.
