AS Choco Mucho's first-ever team captain in the club's debut season in 2019, Maddie Madayag couldn't contain the overwhelming rush of emotions upon seeing how far her squad has come.
The Flying Titans' eight straight win of the 2023 PVL All-Filipino Conference on Thursday evening versus PLDT stamped theirs and sister club Creamline's ticket to the semifinals.
And it was a cathartic moment Madayag will never forget.
READ: Choco Mucho completes comeback vs PLDT, tows Creamline to Final Four
"Sobrang naging emotional ako sa panalo kasi sobrang ganda nu’ng laban, as in grabe talaga. Down kami ilang points pero hinabol namin.
"Sabi ko every time na pumapasok ako, ‘Please, ilaban natin please.’ As in, tinitignan ko sila sa mata, sabi ko, ‘Kapit tayo hanggang dulo kasi nandito na tayo.’ Tinrabaho natin so kailangan natin tapusin nang maayos," Madayag said.
"After the last point, sumigaw talaga ako ng, ‘Thank you, Lord.' As in 'yun lang talaga nasa isip ko, 'Di niya kami pinabayaan' ... Naging emotional ako kasi after nu’ng win, du’n ko lang na-realize na pasok na kami sa semis," she added.
A moment of vindication
Madayag's last taste of semis action for Choco Mucho was in the Ilocos Norte bubble in Bacarra during the pandemic.
There, she unfortunately had an awkward fall in their bronze medal game versus Petro Gazz — one which the Flying Titans lost — and was subsequently ruled to have suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear on her left knee.
Over two years later, Madayag earns her shot at redemption to lead Choco Mucho's promising title chase from the front.
"Last time na nagkaroon (ako) ng chance for semis was in Bacarra, (Ilocos Norte). Nu’ng game na ‘yun, du’n ako na-ACL eh. We were supposed to fight for third place para makapag-podium ‘yung Choco Mucho," Madayag said.
"Very thankful ako na kumapit kami (ngayon). The team is going there kung saan gusto ni Coach Dante (Alinsunurin), kung saan dapat kami papunta. Hopefully, maganda yung pag-peak namin in the semis and hopefully in the finals.
"Ang sarap lang sa feeling na finally, nakapasok na yung Choco Mucho sa semis," she added.
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