CHOCO Mucho's best PVL conference to date has halted a four-year wait for the club's maiden league podium.
From four successive seventh-place finishes (five overall), the Flying Titans fell just short against sister club Creamline in the record-breaking 2023 PVL All-Filipno Conference Finals.
With the integration of multi-titled coach Dante Alinsunurin and newly-crowned conference MVP Sisi Rondina, the future couldn't be any brighter for Choco Mucho as they laid the ghosts of a difficult past to rest.
READ: Rivals Creamline, Choco Mucho 'honored' to put on a show for record-breaking crowd
For team pioneer Maddie Madayag, the Flying Titans' show of force in Game Two, in which they pushed the Cool Smashers to a five-set thriller before losing steam in the end, is a sign of things to come.
"Very grateful lang kami na at least everything is coming together and nakikita mo na talaga na iba na 'yung galaw ng Choco Mucho," said Madayag.
"Kung paano 'yung last game namin this year, it’s a statement to all the teams na hindi kami basta-basta lang and I guess siguro we’re one of the teams to beat na coming into the next conference pero it doesn’t stop there naman," she added.
And it was also through Choco Mucho's first-ever title series in which the club gained a better and broader understanding of where they now stand and how they can soon fight consistently for championships moving forward.
"Nakikita naman talaga na nilaban (namin). 'Yun nga lang, kinapos lang talaga but at least we know where we are now. 'Di ba may term na 'malayo pa pero malayo na.' Marami pang kailangan ayusin pero malayo na compared to how we started this year.
"And ayun nga, sobrang thankful kami sa coaches na grabe 'yung tiwala sa amin and 'yung pasensya talaga nila. 'Yung core (players) kasi, kami 'yung mga matitigas 'yung ulo pero at least nandyan si Coach Dante (Alinsunurin) at nandu'n 'yung tiwala nila sa amin. Hindi nila kami sinukuan," Madayag bared.
Better bonds in a stronger squad
The former club captain took pride in how stronger relationships built on trust between the players and coaches fostered Choco Mucho's newfound winning culture.
"Grabe lang talaga yung tiwala ni Coach Dante and 'yun nga, mas meron na kaming relationship with them — the players and the coaches — and mas kaya na naming makipag-usap sa kanila if ever meron kaming concerns or meron kaming gustong itanong lang," Madayag said.
"Mas gusto na namin 'yung relationship ng whole team itself because everybody’s okay na."
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