Akari lit up its breakthrough bid in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, carving out a thrilling 25-15, 26-24, 26-24 victory over Choco Mucho to capture the hard-fought bronze medal at the Philsports Arena in Pasig on Saturday.
Eli Soyud led the charge for the Chargers, dominating early and stepping up in clutch moments during the final two sets. Akari overwhelmed Choco Mucho in the opener and weathered repeated comebacks in the next two frames, with Soyud delivering timely, powerful hits each time the Flying Titans threatened.
“So very grateful – all the hard work, tough training, and sacrifices from the coaches, management, and players paid off,” said Soyud in Filipino, who was named Best Player of the Game after tallying 18 points.
“We’re so happy because we finally made it to the podium,” she added, savoring the team’s first-ever medal in the league's premier tournament organized by Sports Vision.
The Chargers, who finished seventh after the preliminaries, stunned the league by making a late surge. They even came close to a Finals appearance after winning their first semifinals game – also against the fifth-ranked Choco Mucho side.
“All the points in the endgame – we couldn’t afford to let them go or give Choco Mucho any momentum, because for sure the Flying Titans would come back and come back strong,” said Soyud, recalling their steely resolve in the closing sets.
The Flying Titans mounted a fierce rally from a 16-20 deficit in the third, tying it at 22 after a series of Akari miscues, including six service errors. But just like in Set 2, Soyud responded with a crucial kill, followed by another from Ivy Lacsina to bring the Chargers to match point.
Choco Mucho’s Sisi Rondina refused to back down, firing a kill to keep them alive. A push error by Lacsina tied the score again at 24, but Soyud once more delivered, and a wayward shot from Lacsina off a scramble sealed the win for Akari – triggering a wild celebration.
Middle blocker Ced Domingo also starred with 13 points, while Lacsina chipped in 12. Camille Victoria and Grethcel Soltones added eight and six points, respectively. Soltones also shone on defense with 18 excellent digs and 17 excellent receptions, outperforming libero Justine Jazareno, who finished with 13 digs.
Michelle Cobb also served as the glue of the team with her exceptional playmaking, dishing out 20 excellent sets while contributing two points of her own.
Akari’s defense limited Rondina to just 14 points. No other Flying Titan hit double figures, typifying their offensive struggles. Royse Tubino had nine points, Maika Ortiz added four, while Isa Molde struggled with just three markers.
Despite committing 25 unforced errors – seven more than Choco Mucho – Akari still dominated offensively, outhitting the Flying Titans 47-29, and delivering five aces versus just two from their opponents. Both teams were even on blocks with seven apiece.
Akari took Game 1 in five, but Choco Mucho bounced back with a four-set win in Game 2 to force a decider. But in the all-or-nothing Game 3, however, it was Akari which shone the brightest, rising to the occasion with poise and power.
Akari quickly shook off a 0-2 start with four straight points, extending the lead to 9-4 before cruising to a dominant 10-point romp. With Cobb orchestrating the offense and activating all available attackers, the Chargers overwhelmed the stunned Flying Titans.
Akari outgunned Choco Mucho, 13-9, had more blocks (2-1), and delivered two service aces while allowing none. They also capitalized on the Flying Titans’ errors, converting eight free points and giving up just five in return.
In Set 2, following a 7-all deadlock, Akari strung together six straight points to seize control. Although they appeared ready to run away with the set at 18-12, the Flying Titans mounted a fierce rally. A 3-0 spurt, highlighted by a Soltones attack error, tied it at 20. Choco Mucho then took the next two points to edge ahead, capped by a powerful backrow hit from Rondina.
But Soyud answered with clutch hits to bring the Chargers back into the fray. After Ortiz won a block touch challenge to push Choco Mucho to set point at 24-23, Soyud delivered a timely kill to tie the score. Lacsina followed with a block on Mean Mendrez to give Akari the upper hand at set point.
Victoria then stepped up to serve. Her ball sailed deep and seemed destined to go out, but Rondina misplayed it, the ball deflecting off her arms and into the stands – handing Akari the second set and a commanding 2-0 lead, inching them closer to the coveted bronze.
