With tools to win, it’s on Mosuela to take Chargers to the top

Akari Chargers’ Justine Jazareño in the PVL. –PVL PHOTO

Akari is on a mission to be even better after clinching its best finish in the Premier Volleyball League.

And interim coach Raffy Mosuela, who was given the reins after Jorge Souza de Brito unexpectedly resigned last year, believes they found the missing pieces of the puzzle to do just that as the Chargers ramp up their preparations behind Grethcel Soltones.

“I guess what we were lacking in Akari before, she filled up,” Mosuela told the Inquirer in Filipino over the phone on Thursday. “Especially in receiving; when it comes to attacking instinct, the young ones excel in that.

“But of course, our play won’t really happen without the proper receive.”

READ: PVL: Akari names Raffy Mosuela as new man in charge

Soltones left Petro Gazz after four years with the Angels and decided during this offseason to take her act to Akari, which finished seventh in the last All-Filipino Conference.

“As I’ve said, we really have players that the opponents are targeting in terms of receive. But now, those weaknesses are remedied,” he said. “She filled up what we are lacking and at the same time she (Soltones) has good attacking skills.”

Aside from Soltones, the Chargers also beefed up their roster by adding Ced Domingo to their middle blocker corps.

Domingo, the former Creamline star, is nearing the tailend of her stint with Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand.

“Our team got additional reinforcements and what we are looking for, in my perspective in terms of the system, the young ones are already getting the hang of it,” the 42-year-old Mosuela said.

But Akari will also lose a key piece with tireless court defender Justine Jazareno taking a leave of absence as she is expecting her first child.

‘Joys of motherhood’

VP Global Management announced the 23-year-old libero’s leave on Thursday, thanking Akari management for being supportive of Jazareno as she is set to embark on a new chapter in her life.

“We’re excited to share that our volleyball star, Ms. Justine Jazareno, is eagerly anticipating the joys of motherhood. She has made the decision to take a leave of absence from the game to focus on her forthcoming bundle of joy,” VP Global Management wrote in a statement.

Mosuela, meanwhile, was appointed to call the shots for the Chargers last month and he welcomes the challenge of helping the team continue its rise to become a worthy contender.

“As of now, I am enjoying this. [But] it’s a bit of a challenge for me because we have additional [players to work with] so the expectations for us also increased,” Mosuela said.

Mosuela is also working with Taka Minowa, sister team Nxled’s mentor and Akari director of volleyball operations, as the Chargers work on their blocking, floor defense and play pattern.

“The management wants us to improve our ranking from the previous conference … they want me to at least bring the team to the top four,” he added. “From the previous system, what I saw that was effective, I kept, but coach Taka also adds his input [and] there are a few changes to the system.”