AKARI bounced back from two straight losses with a dominant straight-sets sweep of Farm Fresh, 25-19, 25-15, 25-22, in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference prelims at the Philsports Arena in Pasig on March 5, 2024.
The Chargers faced some stiff opposition from Farm Fresh in the third but they eventually prevailed thanks to Fifi Sharma’s powerful plays and Akari’s formidable blocking.
Skipper Michelle Cobb masterfully executed the team’s strategy with 16 excellent sets, adding three points and six digs.
“This win is particularly fulfilling as we accomplished it in three sets. It’s truly a team effort, and we’re slowly building the composition,” Cobb said.
The addition of Grethcel Soltones and Ced Domingo to the team bolstered the Chargers, leading to dominant performances in the initial two sets. However, Farm Fresh, led by Trisha Tubu, Chinnie Arroyo and Kate Santiago, stood their ground in the third before faltering down the stretch.
“Credit to the players, ginawa talaga nila yung game plan namin, kung ano man yung napag-aralan namin sa Farm Fresh, nakita naman yung result,” said Akari coach Raffy Mosuela, who got 16 points from Soltones, 14 from Joy Soyud and 10 from Erika Raagas.
“Happy kasi syempre bago ako sa Akari and hindi ako nahirapan makisama. Super may connection na kami so far,” said Soltones, who had 10 excellent receptions.
Domingo also made her presence felt in the middle, scoring nine points. Sharma had eight markers, and libero Shiela Pineda anchored the team’s defense with 20 excellent digs. / JNP