MANILA, Philippines — Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin still took pride in the Flying Titans’ fight in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference, despite falling short of a podium finish.

READ: PVL: Akari bags bronze, beats Choco Mucho

Choco Mucho, which had finished runner-up in the past two All-Filipino tournaments, was swept by Akari in Game 3 of the battle for bronze, settling for fourth in an injury-hit campaign.

“Honestly, we’re still happy with how we performed,” said Alinsunurin in Filipino. “Looking at where we started last year and how far we’ve come, I’m thankful because the players responded well to what we wanted to do on the court. But we just didn’t expect to keep losing players during the most crucial games. That cost us.”

Led by Sisi Rondina, Choco Mucho won nine straight games including a two-game sweep of PLDT in the quarterfinals, but lost steam in the semifinal round, dropping all three games before yielding to Akari the Chargers in the best-of-three bronze series.

Alinsunurin admitted that having a depleted line-up, with the injuries of Kat Tolentino and Dindin Santiago-Manabat, took a toll on the team’s campaign, but lauded the rest of the roster for stepping up.

Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

“In the battle for third, I was really looking for players to fill key roles. While we had people available, they weren’t in their natural positions, so balancing the team was tough,” he said. “We didn’t even have a true opposite hitter, so we had to keep adjusting. That’s where we struggled.”

He added that the experience exposed areas that need improvement moving forward.

“At least now, we’re more aware of our weaknesses. In the next conference, we’ll work harder and build the mindset that everyone has to be ready—not just the six or seven on the court.”

From only drafting one player last year in middle blocker Lorraine Pecaña, Alinsunurin said the team will be more aggressive in the upcoming 2025 PVL Rookie Draft, where they hold the eighth pick.

“We’ll definitely look at the gaps, especially in the opposite position,” said Alinsunurin. “We’re still unsure about Kat’s return, —whether she’ll be back— so we really need to prepare. It’s clear we fall short come playoff time, so we need more young players who can stabilize whenever those tough situations come up.”

The longtime coach also expressed gratitude to the Choco Mucho fans, who remained loyal through the ups and downs.

“I’m really thankful to the fans. Wherever we go, they always show up,” he said. “Even in Game 3, we kept fighting despite being short-handed. We just tried to make the most of what we had.”