Choco Mucho hung tough before delivering the fatal blows down the stretch to book a heart-stopping 25-15, 12-25, 25-23, 21-25, 15-13 victory over PLDT in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference last night at the Philsports Arena.

Royce Tubino sizzled early but Sisi Rondina finished the job, hammering the PLDT defense with powerful kills in the deciding set to pave the way for the Flying Titans to occupy the first semifinal spot.

Rondina sizzled with 21 points built on 18 kills, a block and two aces while Tubino pumped in 15 markers from 13 attacks and two blocks.

Setter Mars Alba also shone, finishing with 22 excellent sets on top of seven points to emerge as Best Player of the match.

“I’m so happy, thank you, Lord! Kudos to my teammates and coaches. We started from the bottom, and now we’re here!” Alba said during the post-match interview.

“I didn’t expect to be made a starter, but I told myself that whatever ball is given to me, I’ll find a way for the team.”

Choco Mucho head coach Dante Alinsunurin commended his players’ determination, especially in the fifth set when Savi Davison did damage at the firing end to give the High Speed Hitters a 5-1 lead.

But Choco Mucho, behind the offensive prowess of Rondina, managed to knot the count at 11 before watching Kim Fajardo and Kianna Dy crumble into pressure with back-to-back errors.

Davison scored but Alba connected a cut shot that put the Flying Titans at match point, setting the stage for a powerful cross-court hit from Rodina that sealed their victory.

“The players really wanted to make it back to the semifinals. We talked about what adjustments we could make, and we saw that Mars (Alba) could also score,” said Alinsunurin, who led Choco Mucho to its third semifinal trip in the last four conferences in its six-year of existence.

Rondina, whose leadership on the court was evident, expressed pride in her team’s resilience as they refused to melt under pressure when the game was on the line.

“I’m so proud because everyone can adjust. As long as we can contribute, we’ll work hard,” said Rondina, whose valiant performance helped Choco Mucho stretch its winning streak to nine.

“I admit I was exhausted but seeing my teammates’ desire to win pushed me not to give up on them.”

Davison was a force to be reckoned with, delivering a game-high 34 points off 33 attacks while Majoy Baron chipped in 17 points and Erika Santos added 13 for PLDT, which failed to beat Choco Mucho in three meetings this conference.

The High Speed Hitters will also finish outside the semifinals for the fourth time in five conferences.