CHOCO Mucho opened a new era under head coach Dante Alinsunurin on a high note, spoiling Dindin Santiago-Manabat’s Akari debut with a 25-15, 25-20, 25-20 sweep of the Power Chargers in the 2023 PVL All-Filipino Conference opener on Saturday at SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Choco Mucho vs Akari recap
Maddie Madayag earned the Player of the Game honors in her first starting game since her ACL injury in the 2021 PVL Open Conference in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte after finishing with 11 points on nine attacks, one block and one ace.
Kat Tolentino and Bea De Leon chipped in 11 points each, while Isa Molde had 10 markers to complete four Flying Titans in double figure scoring.
"Sobrang masaya talaga. Parang kinikilabutan pa rin ako siguro kasi first time ko manalo sa PVL kaya ayun, ramdam na ramdam ko pa yung panalo namin," debuting head coach Alinsunurin said in his first game in the women's division.
After a dominant first set for the Flying Titans, the Power Chargers kept it a close game in the second salvo, leading Choco Mucho 14-16 in the second technical timeout before Katipunan Towers De Leon and Madayag pulled off a 7-1 run to overtake the lead, 21-17.
Molde denied the spark of Trisha Genesis off the bench and started to heat up in the right time with three straight points before Deanna Wong laced a 2-0 set lead with a 1-2 play, 25-20.
It was a neck and neck third set before the Flying Titans repeated its late-game run to turn a 13-14 deficit to a 25-20 victory.
Manabat and Janine Marciano carried the scoring load for the Power Chargers with 17 and 13 points, respectively, as Akari left their defense helpless with zero block points.
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