CHOCO Mucho pushed defending champion Chery Tiggo to the brink of elimination with a pulsating 25-21, 16-25, 25-17, 17-25, 18-16 win on Sunday in the 2022 Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at Paco Arena in Manila.
Kat Tolentino carried the fight for the Flying Titans long enough to see the Crossovers flinch in the deciding set with Mylene Paat overshooting her attack and Shaya Adorador going way past the attack line at match point.
Kat leads from the front
Tolentino anchored Choco Mucho's attack with 23 points off 19 kills and four blocks, including three straight points that helped her side come back from a 13-11 deficit in the fifth set.
Dindin Santiago-Manabat refused to quit for Chery Tiggo, trading points with Bea de Leon as the pulsating fifth set led to a 16-all tie before the pair of costly errors from Paat and Adorador doomed the Crossovers.
Choco Mucho gained a share of the top spot in Pool A at 2-0 record, while keeping Chery Tiggo winless after three matches.
Aduke Ogunsanya also did her part for the Flying Titans with 10 points, including four of the team's 15 blocks in the match, while Cherry Nunag stepped up with 10 markers.
"Luckily, Kat delivered, and delivered at the right time," said coach Oliver Almadro after her wards exacted a measure of revenge in a rematch of last season's semifinals.
It was another heartbreaking performance for the Crossovers as Santiago-Manabat's 29 points built on 25 attacks and four blocks ended up in vain.
Adorador also got 13 markers for Chery Tiggo, which will be fighting for dear life against Black Mamba-Army on Tuesday.
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