AKARI finally found its way into the win column in the 2026 PVL on Tour, with Risa Sato joining the fold and Faith Nisperos looking increasingly like her old self.
The Chargers weathered Choco Mucho in a pair of extended sets before holding their ground late for a 27-25, 27-25, 21-25, 25-22 victory on Saturday in Polomolok, South Cotabato.
And it was Chenie Tagaod who provided the gutsy finishing touch.
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Tagaod, who had been dealing with leg issues early in the match, seemingly ran on pure adrenaline to hammer the game-winning point before immediately lying on the floor in pain after sealing Akari's breakthrough victory.
The result also condemned Choco Mucho to a winless end to its preseason campaign, with the Flying Titans wrapping up their three-game On Tour schedule with three defeats.
Sato made her Akari debut to add another veteran presence in the middle, while Nisperos continued her encouraging resurgence as the Chargers finally broke through in the preseason caravan.
But Akari hardly had it easy as it had to grind out identical 27-25 escapes in the first two sets, surviving Choco Mucho's late resistance each time to move within a frame of a sweep.
The Flying Titans turned the tables in the third, extending the match with a 25-21 response.
Akari then threatened to pull away early in the fourth behind a 9-4 start, only to see the five-point cushion disappear as Choco Mucho mounted another fightback.
This time, however, the Chargers refused to let another set slip away.
Akari regained its bearings when it mattered, atoning for its third-set stumble before Tagaod summoned enough for one final swing to put away the Flying Titans.
For Choco Mucho, the fight ultimately wasn't enough to salvage a win from its preseason campaign, closing out the preseason caravan at 0-3.
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