Choco Mucho is gearing up for a crucial match against PLDT in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference this Thursday, but they will face this high-stakes battle without their head coach, Dante Alinsunurin.

Alinsunurin, who has been instrumental in guiding the Flying Titans, will be absent from the sidelines as he fulfills his duties with Alas Pilipinas Men.

Currently in Indonesia, Alinsunurin is leading the national team in the second leg of the 2024 Men’s Southeast Asia V.League, leaving his squad in the capable hands of assistant coach Edjet Mabbayad.

For Choco Mucho, the upcoming match at the Filoil EcoOil Centre is nothing short of a must-win scenario.

The Flying Titans are currently trailing Farm Fresh in the race for the final quarterfinal spot. Farm Fresh holds a 3-5 win-loss record with eight points, while Choco Mucho, with a 2-5 record, needs a victory to surpass them and secure a place in the playoffs.

A win would give Choco Mucho at least nine points, enough to edge out the Foxies and clinch the last quarterfinal berth.

However, the stakes are high— a loss would end their playoff aspirations and hand Farm Fresh the final spot in the quarterfinals, set to begin on Saturday.

The Flying Titans are determined to avoid a repeat of their disappointing performance in the 2023 Invitational Conference, where they missed the playoffs for the first time, finishing seventh and ending a streak of back-to-back silver medal campaigns.

As Choco Mucho steps onto the court without their head coach, the pressure will be on Mabbayad and the players to deliver in this make-or-break encounter.