PVL: New-look Akari taps American import Oly Okaro

Oly Okaro and her husband with new Akari coach Taka Minowa, left, and team manager Mozzy Ravena.–Photo from Akari Chargers

MANILA, Philippines — New-look Akari will be parading American import Oly Okaro in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference, which opens on July 16 at Philsports Arena.

The Chargers, who will be under a new coach in Taka Minowa, on Wednesday unveiled the 28-year-old opposite hitter as their reinforcement in the upcoming conference.

Akari will be banking on Okaro, who played in Greece for the last two seasons with Zaon Kifisias and ASP Thetis.

READ: PVL: Choco Mucho acquires Dindin Santiago-Manabat from Akari

The 6-foot-1 Okaro, who played for San Francisco University and Arizona State University in college, last saw action in Greece where she appeared in two seasons. She also had a stint in Finland.

Okaro will be teaming up with Akari newcomers Ivy Lacsina and Kamille Cal as well as returnees Dani Ravena and Cams Victoria, who were shipped from Nxled with Minowa.

THE ONE. THE OLY. 🙌

Oluoma "Oly" Okaro will power up the Akari Chargers for the upcoming #PVL2024 Reinforced Conference.

Chargers Fam, let's all welcome Oly to our ground! ⚡️💖#AkariPowerUp ⚡️💖🦄 pic.twitter.com/u0XnAkVXeY

— Akari Chargers (@AkariChargers) July 3, 2024

Alas Pilipinas players Faith Nisperos and Fifi Sharma are unlikely to see action due to their commitments to the Philippine women’s volleyball team, leaving bigger shoes to fill in for mainstays Ced Domingo, Grethcel Soltones, Eli Soyud, and Michelle Cobb.

Akari holds the sixth overall pick in Monday’s inaugural PVL Rookie Draft at Novotel.

The Chargers debuted in the 2022 Reinforced Conference, placing eighth with PVL scoring record holder Prisilla Rivera. They haven’t reached the semifinals with back-to-back seventh-place finishes in the past two All-Filipino Conferences.

READ: PVL: Ricky Palou says reported Akari-Nxled trade ‘not allowed’

Akari, slated in Pool B with Choco Mucho, Petro Gazz, Cignal, and ZUS Coffee, starts its campaign against Capital1, which has Russian import Marina Tushova, on July 18 at Philsports Arena.

Meanwhile, Galeries, which has the No. 3 overall pick, will be banking on Brazilian import Monique Helena.

Nine of the twelve PVL teams have already unveiled their imports with Cignal bringing back MJ Perez to Manila, Choco Mucho welcoming Greek Spiker Zoi Faki, ZUS Coffee signing Japanese Asaka Tamaru, Capital1 banking on Tushova, Creamline tapping  American spiker Erica Staunton, Chery Tiggo being reinforced by Khat Bell, and PLDT running it back with its previous Russian reinforcement Elena Samoilenko.

Defending champion Petro Gazz, Nxled, and Farm Fresh have yet to announce their reinforcements.