Titans, HD Spikers scramble for last Finals ticket

Choco Mucho had a rough start to its PVL All-Filipino Conference semifinal showdown against Cignal.

But the Flying Titans have remained faithful to their system, at the urging of coach Dante Alinsunurin.

“After [the Game 1 loss to Cignal] we just told ourselves to continue what we’re doing,” Alinsunurin said in Filipino shortly after his team dragged the HD Spikers to a knockout match with an emphatic Game 2 victory. “We encountered problems in Game 1 [but] I told [the players] that it’s part of the game.”“Maybe we were tested after winning 10 straight, maybe we were getting complacent. Maybe we lacked hunger back then, so I told them that we should work for the semis again for a much better result in Game 2 and 3,” Alinsunurin added.Choco Mucho had a great start in Game 1 with a 2-0 set advantage before the HD Spikers hijacked the game to bring home the crucial opening win.

That loss ended a 10-game win streak of the Flying Titans, who at that point hadn’t dropped a match since going down to sister team Creamline in their opening day showdown.

The Cool Smashers swept semifinal foe Chery Tiggo to book the first Finals berth.

The Flying Titans also took a 2-0 set lead against the HD Spikers in Game 2, but this time, they made sure their opponents stayed down as Sisi Rondina and Kat Tolentino took turns delivering dagger after dagger.

“We will still go back to coach’s (Alinsunurin) program and we will trust whatever he wants to do and his plans,” Rondina said.

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Standing in the way of Rondina and the Flying Titans are veterans Ces Molina and Jov Gonzaga, who along with rising star Vanie Gandler will spearhead Cignal’s bid in Tuesday’s Game 3, which kicks off at 6 p.m. at PhilSports Arena.

“Our motivation was each and everyone, our hard work all throughout the conference. We pushed ourselves and having everyone contribute was a huge deal,” Molina said.

“We always remind each other that we cannot win with only one, two or three people. The load will be lighter if everyone will help each other … all of that is credit to the total team effort,” Gonzaga added as Cignal tries to barge into the Finals once again after finishing with a bronze in the previous Invitational Conference. INQ