Choco Mucho ends skid in five-set comeback over Galeries Tower

February 27 ------ CHOCO Mucho finally snapped its skid the hard way. The Flying Titans mounted a gritty 26-24, 20-25, 22-25, 25-13, 15-12 comeback over Galeries Tower in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference at the Playtime Filoil Centre.

Rallying from a 5-8 deficit in the deciding set, Choco Mucho clawed back momentum to end a three-game slide in what also marked the return of prized acquisition Eya Laure, who missed the team’s last two games due to a minor leg injury. The match ended in anti-climactic fashion as Gayle Pascual’s elbow touched the net during a mid-rally exchange, handing the Flying Titans the final point of the tiebreak.

With the result, both teams now stand level at 2-3 in the standings. “Lagi ko namang sinasabi kina ate [Sisi] kanina na pinaghirapan na naming makaabot ng fifth set so trabahuin na namin at i-keep namin ‘yung hustle na magtulungan sa isa’t isa,” said Laure, who turned in 18 points and seven receptions.

Team captain Des Cheng set the tone early, delivering in the clutch in the opening frame. After Choco Mucho squandered three set points from a 24-21 lead, Cheng took matters into her own hands with a decisive attack and one of her three aces to secure the early advantage. Galeries Tower answered back in the second set. From a 10-6 deficit, the Highrisers surged to a 19-16 lead before an in-form Erika Deloria powered them to level the match at one set apiece.

Laure, who managed just a single point in the first two sets, found her rhythm in the third frame with six clutch markers. But her late surge was not enough to deny the Deloria-Jean Asis tandem, which pushed Galeries Tower ahead with a two-sets-to-one lead. Choco Mucho responded with authority in the fourth, breaking away from a 6-all deadlock with a dominant 19-7 run to win the set by 12 points and force a decider.

The Flying Titans carried that momentum into the fifth, unleashing a quick five-point swing from an 8-5 deficit to seize control of the endgame. Crucial service errors from the Asis-Deloria duo eventually paved the way for Choco Mucho to secure only its second win in five games. Sisi Rondina led the charge with a triple-double of 18 points, 13 digs, and 11 receptions, while Lorraine Pecaña contributed 15 points built on seven attacks, four blocks, and four aces.

Dindin Santiago-Manabat added 11 points, Cheng chipped in 10 markers including three aces and Kat Tolentino finished with nine. Deloria’s 19 points and nine receptions, along with Asis’ 15 points highlighted by five blocks, went to waste as the Highrisers absorbed their third loss of the tournament.

Source: spin.ph