Choco Mucho's Sisi Rondina and Dindin Santiago-Manabat. Photos from PVL Media Bureau
MANILA, Philippines – The Choco Mucho Flying Titans offered their Thursday win to teammate Kat Tolentino.
After their triumph over PLDT, the Flying Titans were quick to think of Tolentino, who suffered a ruptured appendix and had to undergo surgery.
The Sisi Rondina-led squad, despite giving away Set 1, clawed their way back en route to a 21-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-18 victory in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
READ: PVL: Kat Tolentino diagnosed with ruptured appendix
Tolentino is expected to miss some time for Choco Mucho.
"Una siyempre, 'yung pagkapanalo namin, inaalay namin kay Kat. Nagre-recover na siya ngayon, para mabilis 'yung pag-recover niya at makasama ulit namin" said coach Dante Alinsunurin during the postgame press conference.
Opposite spiker Dindin Santiago-Manabat, who plays the same position as Tolentino, said that Kat was her inspiration in tonight's match.
Santiago-Manabat stressed that Tolentino "do not deserve" what happened.
"‘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 kaniya," the former Shakey's V-League Most Valuable Player said.
"Sobrang sipag niya, sobrang bait niya, so pumunta ako dito – siyempre mindset talaga is manalo and susunod lang sa sistema ni coach," she said.
Rondina echoed those statements, saying, "Para rin ‘to kay Kat. Dagdag motivation din ‘yung nangyari sa kaniya."
READ: PVL: Kat Tolentino reveals she has yet to recover from auditory condition
On top of the recent unfortunate incident, Tolentino also suffered an auditory condition last year. In November 2024, the former Ateneo star said she has yet to recover from it.
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