‘FINALLY.’
Choco Mucho mainstay Maddie Madayag, the club’s first-ever team captain back in the 2019 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Open Conference, was left in awe after ending a five-year, 12-game skid to perennial champion and sister club Creamline.
READ: Choco Mucho beats Creamline for first time behind stunning fightback
Such a breakthrough victory also couldn’t have come at a bigger stage with all-important stakes than the Flying Titans’ semifinals opener in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference as Madayag & Co. takes their share of the lead with just three matches in single-round robin play.
From injuries to top four droughts and shock player exits among others, Madayag’s five-year run with Choco Mucho has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. The 5-foot-11 middle blocker suffered her second career ACL injury in 2021, suffered through five seventh-place finishes, and had to part ways with her former Ateneo turned Creamline-bound cohorts Bea de Leon and Denden Lazaro-Revilla.
And as Choco Mucho fell two wins shy of a maiden championship last year, ironically against Creamline, the stars couldn’t have aligned better for the Flying Titans’ skipper to secure such a sweet victory with an attack and seven kill blocks to her name.
"Finally. 'Yun lang talaga (masasabi ko) kasi ilang conferences na namin silang (Creamline) pinaghandaan pero parang short kami palagi. But finally, grabe 'yung pinagdaanan namin," Madayag said.
Choco Mucho solves the Creamline puzzle
Shortly after Choco Mucho’s series-opening loss to Creamline in the 2023 All-Filipino Conference Finals, Madayag underscored how being ‘undermanned’ in terms of experienced players has proven to be quite the challenge in the face of the now-seven-time league champions.
Four months later, 12 straight losses proved too many for the Flying Titans. And after their maiden title showdown, Madayag & Co. showed they now have more than enough pieces to go toe-to-toe with their sister team and ultimately go for the win this time around.
A few Flying Titans she credited, in particular, were newcomers Mars Alba and her setting prowess and Royse Tubino’s veteran presence.
“Nakatulong ‘yung naging experience namin sa finals kalaban sila. Medyo nababasa na namin sila and of course yung additions namin: veterans and setters.
“Grabe ‘yung diskarte ni Mars (Alba) kanina. Kung kaya niyang mahatak ko ‘yung mga middles, pinapamukha niya talagang ibibigay niya sa’kin pero ibabato niya kila ate Royse (Tubino). Credit din talaga sa mga teammates namin kasi hindi talaga sumuko and veterans namin sobrang galing talaga (ni) Sergeant (Tubino),” said Madayag.
“Naka-ilang five sets lang din kami kay Creamline tapos yung mga fifth set namin, du’n talaga sa crunch time (nagkakatalo) kasi (race to) 15 lang. Minsan kinukulang kami and (testament) na rin ‘yun sa maturity nila (Creamline) kasi matagal na silang nasa taas.
“Kami (Choco Mucho), paangat pa lang (kaya malaking) dagdag din talaga nila ate Royse (Tubino) 'yung maturity kasi 'yun talaga 'yung kinulang sa’min kasi bago pa lang kami sa Finals last conference. ‘Yun ‘yung wala kami, pero hopefully ma-sustain na namin ‘yung maturity and confidence namin as a team.”
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