Even after elims sweep, Chargers stay on high alert

Sweeping the PVL Reinforced Conference preliminary round is one thing for Akari. Keeping it that way in the playoffs is a whole other case.

“This 8-0 [standing] is only a part of the process. It’s not the ultimate goal,” said Grethcel Soltones, one of the more veteran cogs for the Chargers, in Filipino on Tuesday night after Akari wrapped up the elimination round unscathed with a 25-19, 25-22, 25-19 wipeout of Farm Fresh to head into the knockout quarterfinals as the top seed.

“We just showed the potential of what we have,” coach Taka Minowa said.

There have been a few teams that were able to push the Chargers to the limit only for Akari to pull it out of the fire each time behind its competitive reinforcement, Oly Okaro.

It’s not the most ideal way of doing things, but it definitely helped the Chargers build character and see how much fight is inside each one of them.

However, there isn’t much room for the same mistakes once the win-or-go-home games begin where after only the four winners get to continue vying for the crown and seal their spots in the Invitational Conference.

“I told my teammates not to get complacent for as long as we don’t [have the trophy],” Soltones said. “We need to strive every day and do everything we can in every training.

“What we are doing now will bring us where we want to go. But even if we are 8-0 right now, nothing is certain,” she added.

Okaro, Soltones and Ivy Lacsina have formed a lethal three-headed battering ram that has beaten the fight out of every foe with floor generals Kamille Cal and captain Michelle Cobb calling the shots every step of the way.

And as one of the more experienced pieces for Minowa, Soltones imparts two important critical elements for her younger teammates to keep in mind: courage and confidence.

Meanwhile, Cobb has been one of the mainstays for Akari and has witnessed the improvement of her team from mere participants to the powerhouse that it is now.

Awaiting a foe

“Even if we swept [the preliminaries], we can’t focus on that because the quarters will be very crucial,” the 5-foot-4 setter said. “We want to achieve something, and we haven’t gotten anything yet.”

Who Akari faces in the playoffs, the No. 8 team, is yet to be decided with Choco Mucho needing to overcome playoff-bound PLDT on Thursday regardless of the number of sets. The Foxies are also still in the running.

“We are on the way to what we want to achieve. We have a very good run so far [because] of team work and … making [sure we are not] … a one-man show,” Cobb, a La Salle product, said.

“We need to continue wanting it because we are already in this position and we have worked for this. All of us have the mindset that there’s no turning back,” Cobb said. “Expect us to step it up a notch in the quarters … all of us will be focused in one direction.”