AKARI’s early tournament woes are now a distant memory.
The Chargers stretched their surge to three straight wins with a 17-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-17 comeback over Capital1 in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference on Saturday at the Playtime Filoil Centre.
Down a set, a 9-2 match-clinching tear capped by a Bella Belen attack error handed Akari the win.
Justine Jazareno's floor defense was front and center in the Chargers' four-set victory with 17 digs and three receptions to repulse the Belen-led Solar Spikers.
After opening the tournament with a hat-trick of losses, Akari has turned the page and now finds itself firmly in the hunt for a four-team qualifying round berth.
Not even a routine 20-point explosion from Bella Belen was enough to pull the plug on the Chargers’ red-hot turnaround.
Akari finds the right mix
“Mas masaya kasi mas nagkakaroon na kami ng tamang timpla,” said Akari head coach Tina Salak.
“Isa na rin ‘yun dahil din sa bench namin, nagkakaroon na rin ng identity. ‘Yun ‘yung pinaka-main factor ng ginagawa namin sa training.”
Capital1 looked in control early as Belen quickly found her rhythm, powering the Solar Spikers to a seven-point cushion on the way to set point and eventually the opening frame.
In doing so, Belen stretched her streak of 20-point performances this conference to seven games after finishing with 24 points, 13 digs, and seven receptions.
Akari, however, answered back in the second set.
The Chargers held on to slim three-point advantages behind the combined efforts of Ivy Lacsina, Eli Soyud, and Chenie Tagaod, who sparked a late surge off the bench.
Tagaod delivered three points in a decisive 5-0 run that closed the set and leveled the match, capping a 12-point, four-reception outing.
With that trio clicking, Akari seized control in the third set and dictated the pace from the outset.
Late bench contributions from middle blocker Jaja Villena, who filled in for an under-the-weather Ced Domingo, and Grethcel Soltones helped finish the job as Capital1 committed back-to-back errors to seal the four-set victory.
Lacsina nearly produced a triple-double with 19 points, 13 receptions, and nine digs, while Soyud chipped in 14 markers. Mars Alba orchestrated the offense with 23 excellent sets and four points.
On the other end, Capital1 once again leaned heavily on Belen as support proved scarce. Shaya Adorador scored nine points, while Sydney Niegos and Cherry Nunag added eight and seven, respectively, in the Solar Spikers’ fourth loss of the conference.
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