Dindin Manabat and other Choco Mucho Flying Titans are stepping up in the PVL All-Filipino Conference.–PVL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin and Sisi Rondina attributed their three-game winning streak to other Flying Titans stepping up as they will miss Kat Tolentino for some time in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference after a surgery caused by a ruptured appendix.
Choco Mucho is on a roll with a 5-3 record after turning back contender PLDT, 21-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-18, on Thursday at Philsports Arena.
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Rondina continued to lift her team but others have been stepping, too, especially Dindin Santiago-Manabat, who has been displaying her vintage lethal form.
READ: PVL: Dindin Manabat’s old lethal form helping Choco Mucho streak
“Ayun naman yung hinahanap ko sa mga players ko, lahat talaga magcontribute every time. Hindi naman talaga Sisi or isang pangalan lang yung kailangan gumawa sa team. Team effort lagi ang importante. Alam mo kung sino ka at kung anong responsibilidad yung binibigay ko sa kanila is tinatanggap nila lagi,” said Alinsunurin after Manabat dropped 16 points and eight digs against PLDT.
“Kaya nga gumaganda nang gumaganda yung laro namin kasi totally nagto-total team effort [kami]. Meron syempre may umiiskor ng malaki pero more on, tulong-tulong sa ginagawa.”
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As they offer their games to Tolentino, Rondina also lauded Manabat for stepping up as well as other starters Isa Molde, Deanna Wong, Cherry Nunag, Lorraine Pecaña, and Thang Ponce.
“Lagi kong iniisip talaga, life motto ko ‘to na everything happens for a reason. Sa mga nangyayari ngayon, alam ko naman na nandyan ‘yung mga teammates ko para mag-step up at gawin ‘yung trabaho na naiwan ng kasama namin,” Rondina said.
“Siyempre, ‘yung goal ng team is manalo nang manalo. Tatrabahuin namin ‘to hangga’t ‘di pa tapos.”
For Manabat, who has been displaying resurgence, everything she does is for Tolentino and the Flying Titans.
READ: PVL: Choco Mucho makes it 3 in a row after edging PLDT
“Actually, ‘yung nilaro ko inaalaay ko talaga siya kay Kat kasi isa rin siya talaga sa inspirasyon nitong araw kasi parang hindi niya deserve ‘yung nangyari sa kanya,” said Manabat. “Sobrang sipag niya, sobrang bait niya, so pumunta ako dito–siyempre mindset talaga is manalo and susunod lang sa sistema ni coach.”
In the resumption of their campaign, Manabat displayed resurgence backstopping star spiker Sisi Rondina to lead the Flying Titans to winning their first two games in 2025 — their third consecutive win to rise to a 5-3 record in fifth place.
In the resumption of their campaign on January 18, the veteran wing spiker unloaded 15 kills and four blocks to finish with 19 points in their come-from-behind 20-25, 20-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-9 win over ZUS Coffee.
With the 31-year-old turning back time and stepping up for the Flying Titans when it mattered most, she was voted as the first PVL Press Corps Player of the Week presented by Pilipinas Live of the year for the period of January 18 to January 25.
Manabat bested her teammate Sisi Rondina, Cignal’s Vanie Gandler, Creamline’s Jema Galanza, Petro Gazz’s Myla Pablo, Farm Fresh’s Jolina Dela Cruz, ZUS Coffee’s Chai Troncoso, PLDT’s Savi Davison, Chery Tiggo’s Cza Carandang, and Akari’s Faith Nisperos for the weekly nod deliberated by print and online journalists covering the competition, which is streamed live and on-demand via the Pilipinas Live app and on www.pvl.ph.
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The Flying Titans have more than a week to prepare against the Akari Chargers on February 8 at the same venue in Pasig City.
