Games today:
(Mall of Asia Arena)
4 p.m. — Cignal vs Chery Tiggo
6 p.m. — Creamline vs Choco
It is the dream finals showdown that is four years in the making.
Sister teams Creamline and Choco Mucho slug it out in the best-of-three Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference championship series starting today at the Mall of Asia Arena.
A huge turnout of fans of the two crowd-drawing Rebisco teams is expected to flock to the cavernous Pasay City venue for Game 1 serving off at 6 p.m.
Meanwhile, Cignal and Chery Tiggo meet at 4 p.m. for their best-of-three battle for third.
Unbeaten in 13 games in the season-ending conference despite missing a couple of veteran stars, the Cool Smashers cruised in the semifinals as they swept the Crossovers to march to their sixth straight all-Filipino finals stint and 10th overall championship appearance.
“Our work is not yet finished. This is what everyone is waiting for,” Creamline mentor Sherwin Meneses said as his team moves within two wins from hoisting its seventh title overall.
The Cool Smashers barely felt the absence of main setter Jia Morado-De Guzman and middle blocker Celine Domingo after their departure to play abroad.
Stepping up to the plate in their absence are playmaker Kyle Negrito while Jeanette Panaga and Risa Sato play solidly at the middle spot.
But the wingers of Creamline are still the backbone of its success with reigning conference Most Valuable Player Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza and skipper Alyssa Valdez playing superb volleyball.
The Cool Smashers, however, are not taking the Flying Titans lightly as they know Choco Mucho is not the same team they beat in four sets at the start of the conference.
“We won 13-0 but that’s all behind us now,” Carlos said.
“Everything right now is even, back to zero. So, for every point, we have to work hard for it. It all starts with our training, and our mindset. I’m just glad that the team never showed complacency despite our wins. Each of us knows our specific role.”
While Creamline entered the finals unmolested, the Flying Titans had to endure three grueling matches against strong opposition from the HD Spikers for their breakthrough championship appearance since joining the league in 2019.
Choco Mucho defeated Cignal in four sets in Game 3 last Tuesday to complete a dramatic come-from-behind series win for the right to face the star-studded and battle-tested Creamline.
The odds are stacked against the Dante Alinsunurin-mentored Flying Titans as they are facing a powerhouse squad that they have yet to beat in nine meetings in the past four years.
Still, Choco Mucho winger Sisi Rondina remains unfazed. “As I would always, nothing is impossible with hard work. If we just put our minds into it, give extra effort, with hard work and patience,” said Rondina, who is no stranger to delivering in championship matches after being part of the great Petron dynasty in the defunct Philippine Superliga.
“We know Creamline won’t give us an inch. So do we. We’ll show them what we’ve learned, the improvement that we have since our last meeting and what we’re made of.”
Flying Titans opposite spiker Kat Tolentino agrees.
“I think the maturity of the team going this whole season will definitely help us. I mean, we’ve gained so much confidence and just the growth even the past few games, working together, and again learning and sticking to coach Dante’s system because I think that’s really the key.”
“We’ve constantly been trying to improve how we adapt and I think we’re going there. Hopefully, in the finals we’ll be able to show even more.”
Alinsunurin, who steered the Flying Titans closer to the club’s first-ever title right in his first season after replacing Oliver Almadro, believes that his wards have a good chance of pulling off an upset if they will get good service and reception.
“I guess if we continue the good things that we’re doing during the game and make quick adjustments, we’ll have a good chance of winning,” Alinsunurin said.
Choco Mucho is also pinning its hopes on heady setter Deanna Wong, Isa Molde and solid middles Maddie Madayag and Cherry Nunag.
