Choco Mucho is glad to have PVL fans starting next week. PVL photo
PVL to allow fans back in q’finals
CHOCO Mucho, whose exciting play has adored them as one of the biggest Premier Volleyball League fan bases, is looking forward to perform in front of an action-starved audience at the Filoil Flying V Centre when the Open Conference resumes on Monday.
Starting with the quarterfinals, the PVL will now have fans at the stands at the San Juan arena for the first time in the pandemic.
“I’m very happy na magkakaroon na ng fans kasi siyempre, ang tagal nilang hinintay ito. And kung nandiyan sila, mas masaya ang volleyball,” said open spiker Desiree Cheng after the Flying Titans clinched the No. 2 ranking in Pool A at the fanless Paco Arena Thursday night.
Coach Oliver Almadro knows that having its “seventh person” will boost Choco Mucho when it plays PLDT Home Fibr, led by fan favorite Mika Reyes, in the knockout stage.
“First ang pinakamaganda diyan, marami ang nagpe-pray sa amin,” said Almadro.
“I’m also asking the fans to pray na walang injury, yun ang pinaka-importante. At ang makapaglaro kami ng maayos na makita kami finally,” he added.
Playmaker Deanna Wong has a simple mindset for the Flying Titans’ crucial stage of the conference.
“May fans man o wala, focused lang naman sa game,” said Wong, who tossed in 44 excellent sets in Choco Mucho’s four-set romp of F2 Logistics.
Physically, mentally and emotionally, the Flying Titans looked drained and yesterday was a great opportunity to recover as they gird up for the High Speed Hitters in the quarters.
“We are preparing for PLDT. You know na beefed up team din iyon. Ang lalaki and maganda ang ikinikilos nila recently,” said Almadro.
“Ang mindset namin is to work hard on our cohesiveness namin and solusyunan kung ano ang ibibigay sa amin ng PLDT,” he added.
Other quarterfinals pairings pits Creamline and Chery Tiggo in a rematch of last year’s championship, Cignal HD and BaliPure, and PetroGazz and F2 Logistics.
By finishing in top two in the pool play, Creamline, Cignal HD, PetroGazz and Choco Mucho hold twice-to-beat advantages, needing only to win once to advance to the semifinals.
