MANILA, Philippines – Major PVL records fell on an unassuming Thursday, August 1 schedule at the PhilSports Arena as Capital1 super import Marina Tushova exploded for a new league scoring mark of 45 points in the Solar Spikers’ five-set stunner over Choco Mucho, 13-25, 25-21, 18-25, 25-20, 15-13.
Already at 40 points at the end of the fourth frame, the 25-year-old Russian star continued to near-singlehandedly lift her team’s head above water against a rallying Flying Titans side, tying Prisilla Rivera’s 2022 record of 44 at an 11-all stalemate in the clutch.
Tushova then set the record in spectacular fashion at match point, firing the 45-caliber bullet spike straight through Choco Mucho’s blockers and down dead-center on the mat to clinch Capital1’s second win of the 2024 Reinforced Conference, and just third overall in its young franchise history.
“All game I felt like I’m not doing anything. That’s why I’m like, ‘Let’s do more, let’s do more,'” Tushova said at the postgame press conference, where she signed the official stat sheet in gold marker.
PVL | STATS:
— Rappler Sports (@RapplerSports) August 1, 2024
Signed, sealed, and delivered!
Super import Marina Tushova sets a new PVL scoring record 45 points in game-winning fashion as Capital1 edges reeling Choco Mucho for its second Reinforced Conference win!
Zoi Faki powers down 28 in the tough loss. #PVL2024 pic.twitter.com/TAjhyVCBQJ
“So about this 45 points, it’s good for sure, but it’s not like I’m already on top of my career or I’m better than someone else, it’s just one game, and today it was like this,” she continued.
“Thank you, I really appreciate it. Thanks to my team, thanks to my family, to the people who are close to me because of them, I’m here now.”
In an interesting coincidence, Tushova’s new high mark is now the third record scoring eruption to happen at Choco Mucho’s expense, as Rivera’s 44 and Oly Okaro’s sixth-best mark of 38 – both for Akari – also happened in five-set wins over the Flying Titans.
Tushova also hard-carried the defensive side of the ball in the win with 18 excellent receptions and 12 excellent digs as middle blocker Des Clemente came a far, far second on the scoring tally with 7 points off 4 blocks.
Zoi Faki, after battling fatigue and making late adjustment’s to the battle-tested Choco Mucho system, scored a conference-best 28 in the losing cause, as the Flying Titans sank to a 1-3 slate in Pool B.
The Cignal HD Spikers, meanwhile, quietly inserted themselves into the record books as well in the first game of the Thursday triple-header, tallying a historic-low 6 errors in their 25-19, 25-19, 25-22 battering of the severely shorthanded defending champion Petro Gazz Angels.
Import MJ Perez kept her scoring fire alive and well in the near-perfect win with a team-high 20 points, while resurgent middle blocker Jackie Acuna and former MVP Ces Molina scored 8 and 7, respectively, for the 4-0 Pool B leader HD Spikers.
Reigning All-Filipino MVP Brooke Van Sickle found little help anew in Petro Gazz’s third straight loss for a 1-3 record, as she recorded 28 big points on 25 attacks and 3 blocks.
Import Wilma Salas added 14 as the Angels refused to suit up six players due to a yet unknown, spreading sickness. Top local scorer Jonah Sabete only played spot minutes as well in her conference debut.
Capping off an eventful day, Akari extended its franchise-best start to four straight wins after a 25-18, 25-15, 25-23 rout of winless ZUS Coffee to tie Cignal atop Pool B.
As the undefeated Chargers move to the cusp of tying a franchise-best five wins, star spikers Oly Okaro and Ivy Lacsina led the momentum-retention bid with 14 and 13 points, respectively, as Kamille Cal tallied 17 excellent sets in the easy win.
The Thunderbelles, meanwhile, fell to 0-4, still without a single franchise win and now at 15 straight losses dating back to their days as Strong Group Athletics. No player breached double-digit scoring as import Asaka Tamaru was checked to just 8 points on an 8-of-42 attack clip. – Rappler.com
