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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Volleyball devider Tolentino says maturity will be key for Choco Mucho in finals duel vs Creamline

Tolentino says maturity will be key for Choco Mucho in finals duel vs Creamline

Published Dec 13, 2023 06:42 am

At A Glance

  • Choco Mucho is heading to the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Second All-Filipino finals for the first time in franchise history after overcoming Cignal in Game 3 of their best-of-three semifinal series on Tuesday, Dec. 12.  

Choco Mucho is heading to the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Second All-Filipino finals for the first time in franchise history after overcoming Cignal in Game 3 of their best-of-three semifinal series on Tuesday, Dec. 12.  

There, the Flying Titans are looking for their first win against defending champions  and sister team Creamline Cool Smashers.  

Since its inception in the league in 2019, Choco Mucho hasn’t defeated Creamline in all their past nine head-to-head matches. 

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Choco Mucho’s Kat Tolentino. (PVL)

Before entering the finals, the Flying Titans’ only loss came from their opening game against the Cool Smashers to finish behind them as the second seed. 

For opposite spiker Kat Tolentino, the squad’s maturity throughout the conference will play a key role in their success against the undefeated Creamline side. 

“I think the maturity of the team going into this whole conference will definitely help us. We’ve gained so much confidence and just the growth in the past few games working together. Sticking to coach Dante (Alinsunurin’s) system, I think it was the key. We’ve constantly been trying to improve how we adapt and I think we’re getting there, so hopefully in this finals, we’ll be able to show even more,” said Tolentino. 

The much-anticipated collision is expected to draw another mammoth crowd as the championship kicks off on Thursday, Dec. 14, at the Mall of Asia Arena seeing how fans show up for both teams even on regular games. 

The 28-year-old Tolentino, who has been with Choco Mucho after graduating from Ateneo, was grateful to have head coach Dante Alinsunurin and Sisi Rondina along the journey. 

“I think it’s not even just the (semifinal) series. It’s how long Choco Mucho has taken to get to the finals is what I am so thankful for. It’s been a long journey, especially for me. I’ve been with them since the beginning and I’m just so grateful. It’s years of hard work with this team. Very thankful for coach Dante and Sisi for coming in and bringing out the best in this team,” she said. 

The mentor, meanwhile, is also pleased to see the growth of the team from the moment he took over at the helm to finally reaching their dream finals berth together. 

Alinsunurin is hoping that the hot-streaking Choco Mucho’s connection will be more than enough to stop Creamline’s dominance in the league. 

“Sa ngayon siyempre thankful ako sa players ko na [ginagawa nila] ‘yung naturo sa kanila. Pero kailangan pa namin mai-polish kung ano ‘yung dapat namin i-improve. Dahil din naman sa tulong nila kaya ko to nakuha. Kaya nagpapasalamat talaga ako sa kanila dahil tyinaga nila kung paano ako mag-coach. And importante ngayon, nagkakaintindihan na kami sana magtuluy tuloy pa,” Alinsunurin said. 

Related Tags

Choco Mucho Flying Titans kat tolentino Creamline Cool Smashers Premier Volleyball League
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