HALF of the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference semifinals cast has been determined, and it took a pair of five-setters to figure it out.
Both Choco Mucho and Akari pulled off winning encores of their series-opening five-set triumphs over higher-seeded sides PLDT and Galeries Tower to book the first two tickets to the next round.
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Sisi Rondina and the rest of the Flying Titans outduelled a gutsy PLDT side, 25-15, 12-25, 25-23, 21-25, 15-13, to remain unbeaten in 2025 with the league’s longest active win streak at nine.
Just like in Game One, the Chargers had to rally from a 1-2 set deficit to finish off the Highrisers in five, 19-25, 25-20, 16-25, 25-20, 15-12.
Here are the key takeaways from a nail-biting pair of semis-clinching triumphs.
1) SISI IS HEART OVER HEIGHT PERSONIFIED
Scoring is a given for one of the league’s highest-flying superstars in Rondina.
But when the going got tough, the 5-foot-6 Cebuana winger always found a way to get going past PLDT’s towering blockers in the likes of Majoy Baron and Dell Palomata — and Game Two was no exception.
It was the Choco Mucho captain who fired the game-winning attacks in both quarterfinals matches against PLDT. She racked up 21 points and 18 receptions to lead the Flying Titans to a third semis berth in the last four conferences.
Averaging 26 points and 15 receptions in the two-game series is by no means an easy feat, but her maturity and composure just as the High Speed Hitters were knocking on the door of a rubber match was what ultimately gave ‘Ube Nation’ the victory.
2) SAVI PROOF ONE-WOMAN SHOWS WON’T ALWAYS WORK
Savi Davison left her heart on the floor and gave it everything she’s got to save PLDT from elimination.
But matching her career-high scoring performance for the third time this conference alone still wasn’t enough.
A 34-point, 13-reception double-double, including eight of PLDT’s 13 points in the fifth-set tiebreak, are herculean numbers that weren’t heroic enough to keep PLDT’s title dream alive.
In both games of the series that went the distance, the Fil-Canadian ace normed a league-best 29.5 points and 16 receptions in the playoffs so far.
Great individual numbers, for sure, but just not enough of a team effort to see the High Speed Hitters through.
3) AKARI IS STARTING TO SEE THE LIGHT AGAIN
Coming off a maiden finals run last conference, Akari wasn’t tipped to replicate its breakthrough campaign after losing six of its 11 matches in prelims play.
Such a record was good for seventh place then, but as the old sporting adage says, some teams just know when to peak at the right time.
That time might just be now for the Chargers.
It took a hat-trick of five-set wins — one against Farm Fresh in the qualifying round and two over Galeries Tower in the quarterfinals — for Akari to break into the Final Four for the second conference running.
Even with an injury wave all-conference long that struck the likes of Grethcel Soltones, Mich Cobb and now Fifi Sharma, Akari just knows when to light it up.
Whether the same story unfolds come the single-round robin semifinals will be known in a week’s time.
4) FINISHING WOES HAUNT GALERIES TOWER AGAIN
Speaking of the same old story, Galeries Tower’s unlikely semis hopes was axed by what has been their Achilles’ heel — finishing.
Even against the league’s long-established powerhouse teams, the Highrisers just seem to find a way to snatch a couple of sets and gain control and momentum of a match when one least expects it.
But in both of their five-set quarterfinals matches, Galeries Tower squandered a two sets to one lead to Akari in the absence of veteran attacking players to get the job done in the pressure-packed endgame.
With libero-captain Alyssa Eroa the lone veteran figure on the taraflex, that maturity void couldn’t have been more felt than in the team’s first-ever playoff run in franchise history.
At least for now, even with the promising building blocks they already have, almost still won’t be enough.
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