As playoffs get going, Akari starts trek back to finals
The Akari Chargers—like the rest of the league—saw the sudden rise of the Galeries Tower Highrisers from the pits to being possible contenders in the Premier Volleyball League All Filipino Conference.
And without really saying it, the Chargers, the losing finalists in the last conference, don’t want to be the next stepping stones of the Highrisers as they start their best-of-three quarterfinal series on Saturday at PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
That’s why Akari coach Taka Minowa wants his charges to focus on what they can control.
“It doesn’t matter who the opponent is, what’s important is that we focus on ourselves,” he said.
Akari progressed to the quarters by outlasting the Farm Fresh Foxies in a five-set thriller nearly two weeks ago, while the Highrisers posted the upset of the tournament with a four-set win over Cignal.
Back then, Ivy Lacsina capped the preliminary round with a highly charged performance with ample backing from Eli Soyud, while Grethcel Soltones made her return from a long respite to count on the defensive end as they punched the quarterfinal slot.
“We have been focusing on building our team chemistry and our trust in each other. The quarterfinals is a different level,” Lacsina said of their 4 p.m. match. “We should be able to apply everything we’ve prepared for.”
The Chargers, however, should be wary about the ability of the Highrisers to perform above their usual selves as evidenced by that explosive 25-17, 25-22, 19-25, 25-19 victory over the favored HD Spikers.
Running third after the elimination round, the HD Spikers fell prey to the 10th-ranked Highrisers in a historic defeat that sent shock waves to the entire field that even dominant teams aren’t invincible.
Another thriller is anticipated with the PLDT High Speed Hitters and the Choco Mucho Flying Titans opening their side of the quarterfinals at 6 p.m.
Defending champion and top-seeded Creamline faces Chery Tiggo while Petro Gazz tackles ZUS Coffee in the other quarterfinal pairings on Tuesday.
