MANILA — Choco Mucho Flying Titans clawed their way back from two sets down and erased an eight-point fourth-set deficit to pull off a dramatic 22-25, 18-25, 25-17, 25-20, 15-8 victory over Capital1 Solar Spikers in the opening of the Premier Volleyball League’s (PVL) 10th anniversary season at the SM Seaside Cebu Arena.
Eya Laure powered the Flying Titans’ remarkable comeback with 22 points, 15 receptions and 11 digs as Choco Mucho spoiled the much-anticipated debut of Capital1’s revamped roster in the Siklab Series of the All-Filipino Conference.
Facing the prospect of an opening-day defeat after dropping the first two sets, the Flying Titans turned the match around with a dominant third-set performance before staging another stunning recovery in the fourth frame.
Capital1 appeared poised to close out the contest after racing to an 11-3 advantage in the fourth set, but Choco Mucho mounted a furious rally to seize control and force a deciding fifth set.
With momentum firmly on their side, the Flying Titans dominated the decider, 15-8, completing an impressive comeback against a Solar Spikers squad reinforced by several prominent volleyball standouts.
Cherry Rondina-Rosales overcame a quiet start to contribute 12 points, while middle blocker Maddie Madayag added 11 markers to complement Laure’s all-around performance.
The defeat was particularly disappointing for Capital1, which appeared headed for a convincing opening victory behind the offensive firepower of Mhicaela Belen, Vanie Gandler and Erika Santos.
Santos matched Laure’s 22-point output to lead the Solar Spikers, while Belen registered a triple-double of 15 points, 15 receptions and 10 digs.
Gandler contributed 15 points and 14 receptions, while setter Julia Coronel delivered 27 excellent sets. Rookie libero Detdet Pepito also impressed defensively with 24 digs.
Despite those individual performances, Capital1 failed to sustain its early dominance as Choco Mucho capitalized on its momentum to complete the five-set escape.
Meanwhile, defending champion Creamline Cool Smashers launched their bid for another All-Filipino Conference championship with a convincing 25-18, 25-21, 25-18 sweep of Akari Chargers.
The Cool Smashers registered the only straight-sets victory of the opening-day matches, underscoring their determination to retain the crown in the league’s milestone season.
The match also marked the return of Alas Pilipinas captain Jia De Guzman to Creamline’s lineup, providing the defending champions with another boost as they opened their title defense.
Creamline controlled much of the encounter but faced a serious challenge in the second set when Akari nearly erased a 10-point deficit.
The Chargers unleashed a 9-1 scoring run to trim Creamline’s advantage to a single point, threatening to extend the contest.
However, the Cool Smashers maintained their composure, with Jema Galanza delivering two of their final three points to repel Akari’s comeback attempt and preserve their straight-sets victory.
The contrasting victories gave Choco Mucho and Creamline winning starts to the PVL’s 10th anniversary season, with the Flying Titans displaying resilience in a dramatic comeback and the Cool Smashers asserting their championship credentials through a commanding sweep./PN
