Choco Mucho yielded to Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu Volleyball Club, 25-14, 25-11, 25-23, Thursday to finish sixth place in the 2021 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
The Filipina spikers fought back late in the third set behind the efforts of Kalei Mau, Ria Meneses and MJ Philips where they rose from a 17-13 deficit to 23-all, but the Kazakhs bounced back with back-to-back points including a quick kill from Valeriya Chumak to seal the win and claim fifth place.
This is the second time Choco Mucho and Zhetysu clash in the seven-team tournament. Their first matchup happened in the preliminary stage last Oct. 2, where the Kazakhs swept the Filipinas, 25-22,25-19, 25-15.
Overall, Choco Mucho finished with a single win and four losses in the tournament that stake a berth to the 2021 FIVB Women’s Club World Championships in Ankara, Turkey in December.
Its lone victory came at the expense of fellow PH team Rebisco, 22-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-17, Wednesday in the classification round.
Rebisco finished dead last at seventh.
Except for its win over Rebisco, Choco Mucho absorbed all its defeats in straight sets.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s Supreme Chonburi and Iran’s Saipa Tehran battle for third place at presstime, while another Thai team Nakhon Ratchasima QminC and Kazakhstan's Altay VC collide for the title and the world club championship berth.