Team Choco Mucho and Team Rebisco. Photo courtesy of the AVC.
(UPDATED) Choco Mucho earned some bragging rights over fellow Filipino side Rebisco after a four-set victory on Wednesday afternoon at the Terminal 21 competition hall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Team Choco Mucho, composed of veteran professional players, recovered from a meltdown in the first set to take the next three frames comfortably, 22-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-17.
With the result, Team Choco Mucho will play for a fifth-place finish in the 2021 Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship against Kazakhstan club Zhetysu on Thursday afternoon.
Team Rebisco, which features several collegiate stars along with veterans Aby Marano and Dindin Santiago-Manabat, finished last in the seven-team tournament.
Kalei Mau fired 20 points, and MJ Phillips added 13 markers to power Choco Mucho to victory in two hours and three minutes.
Choco Mucho got off to a strong start in the opening set, thanks to Mau, but Team Rebisco battled back to knot the count at 20. Rebisco scored four unanswered points from there, with setter Kamille Cal starting off the run with an ace.
A mishit by Tin Tiamzon put Rebisco at set point, 24-20, though she made up for it with a kill before a Jema Galanza attack error kept Choco Mucho alive, 24-22. Team Rebisco ended strong, however, with Lacsina scoring the winner.
It was all Team Choco Mucho the rest of the way, however, as Mau and Phillips alternated in carrying the offensive load. In the fourth set, Team Rebisco closed to within three points, 19-16, off a Santiago-Manabat hit, but Choco Mucho won six of the next seven rallies to snatch the win.
An ace by Deanna Wong off Faith Nisperos secured the victory for Choco Mucho.
Faith Nisperos led Rebisco with 12 points, and Santiago-Manabat scored 11.
Rebisco ended the tournament with a 0-5 win-loss record.