Akari’s Fifi Sharma.–PVL PHOTO
Faith Nisperos has welcomed once bitter collegiate rival Fifi Sharma at Akari to form a formidable 1-2 punch, as the Chargers, after a surprise five-set victory over title contender F2 Logistics on Tuesday, are looking to become a legitimate force in the Premier Volleyball League.
Wearing colors that are far departures from the blue and green they wore while starring for their respective schools in the UAAP, Nisperos, the former Ateneo offensive machine, and Sharma, middle blocker who made the La Salle a feared side, just showed what they can do together in the first upset of the All-Filipino Conference.
“This first game [is] especially important because this will set the tone for the whole conference,” Sharma said after a 21-25, 25-20, 27-25, 19-25, 15-8 nipping of formidable F2 Logistics. “We’ve made our mark and we made our statement. We’ve shown that we have what it takes to contend here.”
Cutting her UAAP career short, Sharma, who was also joined by La Salle teammate Justine Jazareno in making the jump to Akari, scored the last two points of the marathon match to highlight her pro debut, as she complemented Nisperos so well that they have formed a bond in such a short time.
“Having Fifi and Justine on our team is very good because they bring their own characters from their experiences in the UAAP,” said Nisperos, who was recruited to be a vital piece for the Chargers in the last Invitational Conference after also ending her Ateneo career prematurely.
“I could say that they have added aggressiveness [to the team] especially with their own skills,” she added. “I am really happy they became my teammates despite [us being] rivals in college. Having them beside me is a big relief.”
Akari, which hasn’t made it past the elimination round in any of its first two conferences, now has the tools to start entertaining thoughts of getting there. And the win over the Cargo Movers certainly says a lot.
“I am just overall happy with the result because it was evidently a collaborative effort, so it makes the win more satisfying.” the 22-year-old Sharma said.
“I could say that the team spirit and team work showed today and I am really proud of what we have achieved. Today is a testament of our work and the weeks, months of hardship and sacrifices. I am really happy of the result,” Nisperos added.
And with Creamline definitely losing some of its firepower, first with Jia De Guzman going to Japan and the impending departure of Ced Domingo to an unspecified country to play, the fight for the crown doesn’t seem to be one-sided now.
A huge chunk of teams now have a chance, and Akari can be counted as one of them.