Choco Mucho survived a late Creamline surge to claim a long-awaited PVL breakthrough, edging the Cool Smashers, 23-25, 25-13, 25-23, 22-25, 15-13, on Thursday night, November 12, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Flying Titans needed every point of the five-set thriller.

It was only Choco Mucho’s second win in 21 meetings with Creamline. The result lifted the Flying Titans to 4-3 and solo fourth in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series semifinal race, while Creamline fell to 4-2.

Choco Mucho Beats Creamline in Five

The Flying Titans erased an early 0-3 deficit in the decider and built a 14-11 lead after Lorene Toring’s block tied the count at 11. Creamline then cut the gap to 14-13 on a Tots Carlos hit and a Caitlin Viray error, putting the match back in doubt.

Setter Deena Wong went right again, and Viray ended it on her second attempt, with the ball ricocheting off Creamline’s defenders and out of bounds. The finish capped a two-hour, 19-minute epic.

Coach Dante Alinsunurin paired Eya Laure with Sisi Rosales in the decisive stretch, and Laure delivered crucial attacks in the fifth set. Rosales led Choco Mucho with 20 points, while Viray added 11, and Laure and Jen Villegas contributed eight apiece.

Encarnacion Fuels Breakthrough Win

Jewel Encarnacion delivered a career-defining performance in her second PVL season, finishing with 10 points, five excellent digs and nine receptions. Choco Mucho also edged Creamline in attacks, 66-63, as the teams traded blows all night.

Encarnacion credited teamwork for the breakthrough. “Teamwork lang talaga ang pinagana namin,” she said, an emotional nod to a collective effort that finally cracked a long-standing rivalry.

Jema Galanza paced Creamline with 16 points, while Bernadette Pons, Carlos and Pangs Panaga added 14, 13 and 10, respectively. The Cool Smashers absorbed a second straight loss after falling to PLDT in four sets last Thursday.

Both teams finished with 11 blocks, but Choco Mucho held a 6-4 edge in service aces. The Flying Titans capitalized on Creamline miscues for 27 points while committing 21 errors of their own.