Sisi Rondina hits the ball as the Choco Mucho Flying Titans’ fans cheer on behind her during Game 2 of the PVL All-Filipino Conference quarterfinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Sisi Rondina was a central figure who led Choco Mucho to the finals of the PVL All-Filipino Conference twice, with both ending in despair.
Starting on Saturday, Rondina and the Flying Titans try to inch their way closer to another title series when the round-robin semifinals gets going, starting with their match against Akari at 4 p.m. at Ynares Center Antipolo.
“It (falling short) comes as extra motivation since we know we have to complete it (title run) this time,” said Rondina in Filipino following another stellar performance in the quarterfinals.
The Choco Mucho star will again show the way for the Flying Titans, who open up against an Akari side equally determined to get back in a title series after its previous stab in the Reinforced Conference circled the drain.
“My teammates and I will not give up [in pursuing a title],” Rondina went on. “We always say to take it a game at a time and not think far ahead, but we also have to continue working as hard as we can.”
Choco Mucho has a roster laden with talent in Isa Molde, Royse Tubino, Cherry Nunag, Maika Ortiz and setter Mars Alba, the game changer in their quarterfinal dismantling of the PLDT High Speed Hitters.
Defending champion and powerhouse Creamline also gets its bid going at 6:30 p.m. against the formidable Petro Gazz Angels, a squad which, for all intents and purposes, will be coming into this phase as sharp as it could be.
The Angels were given a wake-up call at the start of their best-of-three quarterfinals series against upstart ZUS Coffee, a five-set loss that got them going on all cylinders in the next two games and prepped them as hard as anyone can going here.
Still hungry
They will, however, be opening against the Cool Smashers, the reigning Grand Slam champs looking to win a 10th title and whose personnel can pass for the league’s All-Star team.
And the scary thing about Creamline is that its stars have shown no quit in them despite all their successes.
“We’ve always been reminded by our [seniors] and coaches not to be complacent,” said Bernadeth Pons. “Whenever they see us relax, our attention will be called even in practice.”
That mighty workforce and winning culture are the stumbling blocks that the Angels should tear down.
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“We have to have the mindset that these teams have more firepower, and a little bit more,” said Brooke Van Sickle, the Angels headliner who aided them in curtailing the Thunderbelles’ dramatic rise.
