Maddie Madayag and the Choco Mucho Flying Titans are finding inspiration from injured teammates Des Cheng, Aduke Ogunsanya, and Kat Tolentino as they once again face the Creamline Cool Smashers in the PVL Finals.
Choco Mucho dashed the title hopes of Petro Gazz on Sunday night to secure the last berth in the championship round of the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference, setting the stage for a marquee rematch with Creamline.
This time, however, Maddie Madayag and the rest of the team head into their second Finals appearance with a deeper sense of purpose.
The Flying Titans are dedicating their championship clash with the Cool Smashers to their injured teammates in Des Cheng, Aduke Ogunsanya, and Kat Tolentino.
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“May mga hugot kami. Kasi marami kaming teammates na down. Tatlo sila this conference,” Madayag said.
“Wala si Kat, wala si Aduke, wala si Des. Gusto lang talaga namin is maglaro para sa kanila. Kasi, wala, siyempre, gusto naming makasama sila sa loob na makakapaglaro sa loob.”
The injury woes of Choco Mucho started in the 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference, where Cheng suffered an ACL tear in her right knee that has since kept her out of action.
The setbacks persisted into the ongoing season-opening conference, where Ogunsanya sustained an ACL injury in her left knee in their campaign opener against Nxled. To make things worse, Tolentino developed an auditory condition midway through the preliminaries.
[RELATED: PVL: Choco Mucho return still uncertain for Kat Tolentino, says Dante Alinsunurin]
Against all odds, the Flying Titans fought tooth and nail in their title-redemption bid, earning another shot at the defending champions for all the marbles. After enduring all the hardships, Madayag believes their experiences have only made them stronger.
“It's always against our odds. Always kong sinasabi na resilient ang Choco Mucho. Kahit anong gawin mo, suntukin nyo kami, bubugin nyo kami, babangon at babangon kami,” Madayag vowed.
“‘Yun ang dadalhin namin sa Finals na kahit anong mangyari lalaban at lalaban kami.”
[ALSO READ: PVL: Royse Tubino grateful for support as she steps up in Choco Mucho’s title drive]
As the Flying Titans gear up for a best-of-three title series against the Cool Smashers, with Game 1 set for Thursday, May 9, Madayag and the rest of the team are more determined than ever to claim the championship.
“Sana makita ng teammates ko na kaming bawa't isa, gaano naming gusto makuha ito. Gutom na gutom na kami. We're hungry to get that gold,” Madayag said.
“I think naman nafe-feel ng teammates namin na gusto rin nila makamit ang gusto namin. Gusto naming ma-inspire sila, and sana, sabi ni Sisi, sabay-sabay kami umangat sa Finals.”