The Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference delivered another dramatic finish Tuesday, March 3, as the Choco Mucho Flying Titans finally rediscovered their rhythm. After weeks of inconsistency, the Flying Titans showed poise under pressure to secure a crucial victory at the FilOil Playtime Centre.

Choco Mucho erased a fourth-set deficit to defeat the Nxled Chameleons, 27-25, 28-26, 16-25, 25-19, boosting its standing in the tightly packed semifinal race. The win marked the Flying Titans’ second straight triumph after a three-match skid, allowing them to even their record at 3-3 in the ongoing PVL All-Filipino Conference.

Nxled, meanwhile, continues to watch its early momentum slip away. The Chameleons opened the conference with three straight wins following a roster rebuild centered on players from the Petro Gazz Angels core, but that promising start has now been erased by three consecutive defeats that raise fresh concerns about their staying power.

Sisi Rondina powers all-around effort

Sisi Rondina once again proved to be the steady engine for Choco Mucho, delivering one of her most complete performances of the conference. Known primarily for her scoring bursts, the veteran winger showcased her full arsenal to keep the Flying Titans within striking distance throughout the match.

Rondina finished with 24 points while anchoring the back row with 20 excellent receptions and eight digs to earn Best Player of the Game honors in the two-hour, one-minute contest. Her defensive focus helped stabilize Choco Mucho during crucial stretches when Nxled threatened to seize control.

“Nag-stick kami sa set plays namin at pinaka-importante talaga coming here, mindset ko talaga na kailangan may receive ako sa larong ito. So I think nakatulong,” Rondina said, emphasizing her defensive mindset entering the match.

Eya Laure delivers the finishing surge

With Choco Mucho staring at a 9-15 deficit after Nxled dominated the third frame, Eya Laure stepped forward and completely shifted the match’s energy. Her aggressive scoring run ignited the Flying Titans and silenced what had been building momentum on the Nxled side.

Laure first tied the score at 17 before unloading four straight points that flipped the fourth set on its head. She finished with 13 points in just her second game back after missing time due to an abdominal strain suffered against Creamline, giving Choco Mucho a much-needed secondary scoring punch.

Kat Tolentino also played a critical role in the comeback, firing three consecutive hits — including a block on Brooke Van Sickle — to help erase the early deficit. Lorraine Pecaña later converted an overpass to tie the set at 15, while an error by Chiara Permentilla capped a decisive 7-0 run that pushed the Flying Titans ahead for good.

Nxled briefly reclaimed the lead at 17-16 behind a block from Lyann de Guzman, but Laure quickly responded and Choco Mucho maintained control the rest of the way. The Flying Titans ultimately leaned on their balanced attack and late-game composure to close out the four-set victory.

Tolentino finished with 15 points, while Pecaña and Des Cheng added eight and seven, respectively, as Choco Mucho held slim edges in attacks, 57-54, and blocks, 11-8. Van Sickle paced Nxled with 20 points, while MJ Phillips contributed 13 in the losing effort.

Jonah Sabete-Escamillan scored nine points in the first two sets but did not return, while Permentilla and De Guzman finished with six markers each. Ranya Musa and Djanel Cheng chipped in four apiece as the Chameleons’ offense stalled late.

Nxled appeared poised to force a decider after its strong fourth-set start, but the Chameleons unraveled under Choco Mucho’s relentless stretch-run assault. Laure’s late surge ultimately extinguished any hopes of a fifth set and sealed the Flying Titans’ much-needed bounce-back win.

“Kailangan pang magtrabaho,” Rondina said when asked about their semifinal push, a reminder that despite the victory, Choco Mucho knows the climb is far from over.