Undaunted by PLDT’s early surge, the Choco Mucho Flying Titans bounced back to defeat the High Speed Hitters, 21-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-18, and claimed solo fourth place in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena on Thursday, Jan. 23.

Sisi Rondina once again showcased her explosive form, delivering a 20-point performance, while her teammates provided solid support in neutralizing PLDT's strong start.

Despite the High Speed Hitters’ initial momentum, led by a 13-point effort from Savi Davison in the opening set, the Flying Titans quickly regrouped. They dominated the next three sets on their way to the one-hour, 56-minute victory, improving their win-loss record to 5-3.

“We performed well in the second set because of our adjustments, especially in blocking and floor defense,” said Choco Mucho head coach Dante Alinsunurin in Filipino. “I told the team that if we dictate the tempo, we’ll win the game. Once we adjusted to their blocking, floor defense, and serving, we were able to capitalize on PLDT’s mistakes.”

With the win, Choco Mucho closed in on the top three teams: Petro Gazz (6-1), and Cignal (5-1) and unbeaten Creamline (6-0).

Rondina shared that after losing the first set, the team had a huddle where they agreed not to get caught up in PLDT's game plan, especially with the absence of Kat Tolentino.

“We didn’t let them dictate the flow of the match, and our passing and defense got stronger,” she said.

“We dedicated the win to Kat, who is recovering, and we hope she gets better soon so she can join us again,” said Alinsunurin.

The loss dropped PLDT to 4-3, tying the High Speed Hitters with the Chery Tiggo Crossovers as the two teams enter the critical phase of the preliminaries in this record-breaking six-month tournament organized by Sports Vision and backed by Watsons.

While both teams were close in several statistical categories – Choco Mucho finished with 57 attack points to PLDT’s 51, and PLDT had seven blocks to Choco Mucho’s six –the Flying Titans' victory was largely due to PLDT's unforced errors (31 vs. Choco Mucho's 23).

Choco Mucho’s attack efficiency and disciplined play made the difference.

Veteran Dindin Manabat stepped up in crucial moments, contributing 16 points, while Isa Molde and Cherry Nunag added 12 points each.

Despite Davison’s remarkable individual performance with a game-high 27 points, PLDT couldn’t sustain the momentum from their first-set victory. Support was sparse, with no other player scoring in double digits. Dell Palomata added eight points, while Erika Santos and Major Baron had seven markers apiece.

For Choco Mucho, it was a clinical response after losing the opening set, as they showed depth and resilience to emerge victorious in four sets, even without Tolentino in the roster.