Choco Mucho, stirred by a raucous crowd, pounced on a short-handed Chery Tiggo side, 25-21, 25-21, 25-21 in the 2022 Premier Volleyball League Invitational on Saturday night at the San Juan Arena.
The young, tall Flying Titans pulled through in a fight finish in the first set, weathered the Crossovers’ late charge in the next then shook off a shaky start in the third before fending off another gritty stand by their rivals in a thrilling endgame marked by long rallies to the delight of the screaming fans from both sides.
The Crossovers, who played without the Santiago sisters – with Jaja Santiago still in the Japan league and Dindin Manabat sustaining an ankle injury in a recent tune-up, kept on fighting through sheer guts and determination, forcing an 18-all count to stay alive.
But the Flying Titans re-asserted their might, taking five of the next seven, only to find the Crossovers back in the game aided by Isa Molde’s backrow bid that failed to clear the net, enabling Chery Tiggo to threaten at 23-24 and setting up a thrilling finish.
But after another exchange of hits, blocks and saves, Kat Tolentino came through with her own backrow blast that hit the hands of Chery Tiggo defender Czarina Carandang and dropped to an unguarded spot in the middle.
