PVL: Akari overpowers Farm Fresh for breakthrough win

Akari Chargers in the PVL All-Filipino Conference. –PVL IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines–Akari imposed itself with plenty to spare and pummeled Farm Fresh, 25-19, 25-15, 25-22, for a breakthrough win at the Premier Volleyball League All Filipino Conference on Tuesday night.

Grethcel Soltones and Eli Soyud powered the Chargers with a variety of hits while Michelle Cobb delivered 16 excellent sets as they barged into the win column after three games.

“It’s definitely fulfilling to win in three sets after we lost our first two games. Overall, it’s a collective effort as we continue to build the composition of our team,’’ said Cobb.

SCHEDULE: PVL All-Filipino Conference 2024

Soltones fired 16 points and had 13 attacks along with Soyud, but the Chargers’ defense at the net against a young team teeming with power hitters proved instrumental.

They had 11 blocks, four of them courtesy of Ced Domingo and a pair coming from Sharma.

“We really focused on the pattern of our blocking and we were able to execute our game plan,’’ said Akari coach Raffy Mosuela.

READ: PVL: Ced Domingo has a quiet Akari debut as she adjusts to new system

Bang Pineda likewise contributed with 20 digs and Erika Raagas added nine receptions apart from nine points.

Trisha Tubu led the Foxies with 10 points and Chinnie Arroyo added nine, efforts not enough to tally another win as they fell to 1-2.

Soyud and Soltones did most of the damage on the Foxies’ end of the floor, combining for 12 points in the first set, enabling the Chargers to set the pace.

Akari Chargers’ Grethcel Soltones. –PVL IMAGES

The Chargers actually came in prepared for the Foxies’ heavy hitters with power smashers Tubu and Alyssa Bertolano stymied in their attacks during the opening set.

Akari again exploited the enemy’s poor communication, starting off with powerful serves before punching holes in the defensive line of Farm Fresh.

READ: PVL: Grethcel Soltones, Akari still a work in progress

Another Soyud kill and Bertolano’s attack error pushed the Chargers ahead, 8-3, with Raagas and Cobb contributing heavily to sustain their charge.

Soltones aced it and Domingo’s third block of the night widened the gap further for a 12-point spread for the Chargers.

Soltones sealed the second set with a crushing blow that grazed the net before trickling in.

The Foxies preferred a different narrative, however, in the third set as Arroyo began to make her move with Tubu and Kate Santiago likewise putting the pressure on the Chargers.

They led on a series of attacks anchored on Arroyo, 20-18, but the Chargers came swinging back and reversed the trend courtesy of Sharma’s block coupled with a running cross court spike.

Soltones again went back to work with a block on Tubu and Soyud punctuated a victorious night with a back row spike at the match point that saw Arroyo scrambling to save the game for the Foxies.