But for the top two seeds, which narrowly avoided upsets in the knockout quarterfinals over the weekend, there’s no time to relax – only time to work, work and work to maintain their momentum and competitive edge.
The Chargers, rebounding from a sluggish opening set, swept the next three to edge out the eighth-seeded Farm Fresh Foxies in a victory that was anything but easy. Just as they had done during their remarkable sweep of the two-phase eliminations, which included reverse sweeps against some of the league’s top contenders, Akari once again showcased its resilience.
Despite reasserting their strength in the second set to level the match, the Chargers had to dig deep, displaying tremendous courage and spirit to fend off the Foxies’ relentless challenge in the subsequent sets, eventually sealing a 17-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-23 win.
The two-hour, five-minute victory not only extended Akari’s winning streak to nine games but also brought the Chargers within one win of a breakthrough finals appearance – and two victories away from achieving a historic first-ever championship sweep.
But Akari isn’t looking too far ahead, its immediate focus is on overcoming either PLDT or Chery Tiggo in the semis, another do-or-die stage.
“For others, reaching this point is already historic, but as long as we haven’t held the trophy, we haven’t proven anything,” said Akari’s top local Grethcel Soltones in Filipino.
The seasoned campaigner, along with powerful hitter Ivy Lacsina, has been providing not just firepower but also leadership for a team determined to defy the odds and achieve a milestone season. Soltones emphasized that their reliance on each other has been key to staying on top.
“It’s all about motivation,” Soltones added. “It’s about the hard work we’ve put in as a team. We didn’t get here by taking things easy. My teammates inspire me, and when the battle gets tough, you look for someone to lean on.”
The team’s prized import, Oly Okaro, echoed Soltones’ sentiments: “We’re so motivated because it’s all or nothing at this point. We just need to fix some things from our last game.”
Okaro, who has been a key figure in Akari’s success, added: “I came here to make an impact, as all imports do. We work really hard to ensure that I’m improving, not just for myself but for the team. The results show that, together, we’re getting closer to the goal we have in mind.”
