PVL: Faith Nisperos no qualms about coming off Akari bench

Akari Chargers’ Faith Nisperos.–PVL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Faith Nisperos doesn’t mind coming off the bench as long as it helps Akari win games in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference.

Coming off her one-point performance in their straight-set loss to PLDT last Tuesday, Nisperos didn’t start and was fielded late in the third as Akari kept its semifinal hopes alive with a 25-19, 25-17, 25-20 win over also-ran Galeries Tower on Saturday at Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna.

Nisperos, the Chargers’ prized recruit last year, respects whatever the decision of her coaching staff as all she wants is what’s best for their team.

READ: How Faith Nisperos is balancing school and pro volleyball

“I didn’t start which was our coaches’ decision and it’s something that I can’t control, but what I can control is what I can do inside the court,” said Nisperos, who scored four points in the lone set she played.

“My motivation is every time that I’ll be inside, I’ll contribute to the best of my abilities and when I commit errors, it’s okay, it’s part of the game, I will keep going,” she added in Filipino.

Nisperos is currently in a scoring slump this conference limited to just 6.0 points in seven games compared to her 10.5-point average last season.

But her motivation to contribute stays the same with the Chargers fighting for their dimming semifinal hopes with a 3-5 record in seventh place.

READ: PVL: Faith Nisperos, playing in front of mom, leads Akari win in CDO

“We want to show our improvement as a team in order to get that win. That’s our motivation, as long as we’re working as a team,” said Nisperos. “I’m [always] ready to contribute to the team that’s the role I’m going to embrace inside the court.”

Reaching the Final Four may be a long shot for Akari but Nisperos and the Chargers remain eager to improve in their remaining games facing the also-ran Capital1 Solar Spikers on Thursday next week at Philsports Arena. 

“We need to train ourselves to improve and that is what we need in order to win. So as long as we’re improving, ‘yun muna ‘yung panghahawakan namin as a team,” she said.