AKARI kept its surge going in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference, turning back Creamline, 25-21, 26-24, 17-25, 25-21, on Thursday at the Playtime Filoil Centre.
The Chargers delivered one of their most composed outings of the conference, slowing down the Cool Smashers’ red-hot pace, ending Creamline's five-game winning streak in the process.
Behind strong performances from Grethcel Soltones and Ivy Lacsina, Akari stretched its own run to four straight wins, gaining a timely lift in the tightly packed race as the preliminary round heads toward its final stretch.
The victory was also just the second in franchise history for Akari against Creamline, following a five-set win during the preliminary round of the 2025 Reinforced Conference last October in Dasmariñas, Cavite.
"Even if nagka-struggle kami noon at the very start, there's a reason kung bakit kami ngayon nagkaka-ganito na may winning streak," said Akari head coach Tina Salak.
"Nai-inspire lang namin yung bawat isa everyday sa training, and we don't lose hope regardless of what's happening. Tuloy lang ang buhay."
Charge, Akari, Charge!
Akari came out firing, racing to an 11-7 lead in the opening set and never looking back.
Even with Alyssa Valdez seeing extended minutes in the first two frames as Bernadeth Pons dealt with a minor right leg issue, Creamline could not swing the momentum back its way.
Pangs Panaga and Dij Rodriguez saved two set points, but Panaga’s service error, one of eight Creamline freebies in the frame, ultimately handed Akari the opener.
A more familiar Creamline side showed up in the second set, building a 9-4 cushion and even stretching the lead to five. But Grethcel Soltones spearheaded a comeback that erased the deficit and tied things up at 17-all.
The Chargers seized the moment from there. Fifi Sharma and Ivy Lacsina delivered back-to-back kill blocks on Michele Gumabao to push Akari to set point at 24-22.
Creamline managed to draw level at 24-all after errors from Mars Alba and Eli Soyud, but a Pons service miscue followed by a Soltones attack sealed the frame and gave Akari a commanding two-set lead.
Creamline briefly looked like its old dominant self in the third set, racing to an early lead and never looking back en route to an eight-point rout to extend the match.
But Akari quickly flipped the switch back in the fourth. From a tight 12-11 edge, the Chargers unleashed a decisive 8-0 run to break the set wide open at 20-11 and surge to the brink of victory.
Creamline still managed to save three match points behind Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza, but it was Chenie Tagaod who eventually delivered the dagger off the bench with the winning hit.
Lacsina led the way for Akari with 20 points and 17 receptions, while Soyud added 15 markers. Soltones also delivered on both ends with 14 points and 12 receptions.
Alba orchestrated the offense with 18 excellent sets and 10 digs, while Justine Jazareno anchored the floor defense with 22 digs on 59 percent efficiency.
Only the Galanza-Carlos tandem reached double figures for Creamline in a rare off-scoring night, with 16 points for Galanza and 10 for Carlos.
Pons finished with eight, Valdez added six points and seven digs, while Pangs Panaga chipped in 10 markers.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
