Flying Titans keep semis hopes alive

Games tomorrow

2 p.m. – Motolite vs BanKo-Perlas/ 4 p.m. – BaliPure vs Chef’s Classics

MANILA, Philippines — Choco Mucho finally got to unleash its vaunted triple-tower combination of Kat Tolentino, Maddie Madayag and Bea de Leon as the Flying Titans rolled past the BaliPure Water Defenders, 25-16, 25-12, 25-16, and pressed their backdoor semis drive in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan yesterday.

It was Choco Mucho’s second straight win after an alarming five-game skid, and though the Flying Titans remained at seventh with a 4-6 card, it kept the team’s playoff hopes alive with just a game or two separating the second to sixth teams.

Tolentino, the league’s leading scorer with a 20-hit norm, fired away 13 kills and finished with 14 markers while Madayag, back from a stint with the national team in the ASEAN Grand Prix last week, added 11 points. De Leon came off the bench and added two points in a two-set stint as reliever.

BaliPure, which also lost in three to Choco Mucho in the first round, fell to 2-10. Even a sweep of its last four games in the elims won’t merit a shot at a semis berth in the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.

Motolite likewise fashioned out a repeat three-set victory over Chef’s Classics, 25-19, 25-23, 25-22, in the other match to rebound from a shutout loss to Air Force last week and seize solo second at 7-3 behind Creamline’s 10-0 card.

The Red Spikers fell to 0-12.