Mitchem leads Akari to unbeaten week to gain nod
Akari chalked up a first win in 10 matches over powerhouse Creamline last week, with coach Tina Salak employing a new system that has gotten everyone involved and an American import in Annie Mitchem, who is just too willing to be the tip of the Chargers’ sword.
“I’m really happy and proud of us because this team is really good,” said Mitchem, who averaged 25 points in the first two games. “This is like one of the [leagues I played before] in Brazil and Indonesia. The crowd was big like this. The fans are really interactive and like screaming, so it’s really fun.
“I enjoyed it a lot,” added Mitchem, the unanimous choice as the first PVL Press Corps Player of the Week presented by Pilipinas Live.
The Chargers are off to a 2-0 start, touched off by that thrilling 23-25, 25-23, 30-28, 23-25, 15-12 win over the Cool Smashers as the towering Mitchem dropped 33 points on the defending champions before Akari won another five-setter against Chery Tiggo EV.
The 31-year-old has a lot of pro experience outside of the United States, and she didn’t hide the fact that she feels that there is something special in her stint here.
“I think just going to practice and just being with everyone is really helpful, and just like enjoying our time while we’re practicing,” said Mitchem.
Mitchem edged out fellow imports in Farm Fresh’s Eli Rousseaux, ZUS Coffee’s Anna DeBeer and Capital1’s Sasha Bytsenko, along with local aces in PLDT’s Savi Davison and Petro Gazz’s Brooke Van Sickle, for the weekly plum deliberated by print and online reporters covering the pioneering professional volleyball league organized by Sports Vision.
Even with a steady import, Salak knows that their locals must step up to help Mitchem shoulder the offensive load.
“Our goal is really to help our import offensively,” Salak said in Filipino. “Our locals would need to step up every game.”
There are a lot who have turned in their share this early, as middle blockers Ced Domingo and Fifi Sharma have become more involved offensively as part of Salak’s system of spreading the offensive load.
