THE only thing constant about Akari’s unscathed Premier Volleyball League (PVL) campaign and best-ever franchise start to date?
Change.
READ: Akari shows it's the real deal with gutsy win over Cignal
Even before the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference began, Akari became the centerpiece of the league’s biggest offseason change when a controversial sister-team mega-trade with Nxled was green-lit by the PVL.
The swap saw former Nxled aces Ivy Lacsina, Dani Ravena, Kamille Cal and Cams Victoria, including head coach Taka Minowa, all move to Akari.
And all of them, alongside Ced Domingo and American guest import Oly Okaro, have been integral pieces to the Chargers’ perfect 5-0 start, with Lacsina (15 points), Ravena (2.67 excellent digs per set), Cal (3.19 excellent sets per set), Victoria (6.8 points), Domingo (0.62 blocks per set) and Okaro (24.6 points) all putting in the work.
Akari's 'tiki-Taka' working wonders
While their results and numbers already speak volumes on how they've pivoted from a rising squad to a team to beat, Chargers stars deflected a huge chunk of the credit to their Japanese tactician’s growth-oriented system and frank persona.
“To be honest, I must say it’s really Coach Taka (Minowa) and his system (that’s working). And also, ‘yung mga nadagdag sa team naming mga players, like Ivy (Lacsina), Kamuy (Cal), Dani (Ravena) and Cams (Victoria). Very big help talaga sila in this new Akari team,” Domingo said.
“‘Yung mga major changes na nangyari, kita naman na it’s really working and everyone is trusting the system.”
Lacsina added: “Maganda yung sistema ni Coach Taka and talagang natutulungan kami individually and as a team. ‘Yun ‘yung pinakamalaking factor kung nasaan na ‘yung Akari ngayon.
“Hindi pa namin ganun ka-memorize yung system pero hindi naman nagsasawa si Coach Taka na ipaalala samin kung ano yung dapat ‘yung sistemang meron kami.”
Even Okaro, the PVL’s second-leading scorer after Round 1, is fond of how her squad’s newfound cohesiveness has been activated by the coaches’ proactive ways.
“A lot of our coaches are giving us feedback. I know for myself specifically because in the first set, I know there were things that I wasn’t doing well like with my attack and block. I think the coaches did a really good job of just giving feedback so we can work on those things.
“With more trainings, we’re just having more playing time together and more experience as a team. I feel like we’re a lot more cohesive so we just jell a lot better on the court and allows the game to be a bit smoother at times.”
Learn, adapt, and be humble
On paper, Akari is on track to clinch the No. 1 seed come the knockout playoffs if it manages to sweep the bottom three of Pool A and complete an eight-game prelims sweep in the second round of pool play as the league’s last unbeaten team.
For the Chargers to keep it that way as they tread uncharted waters, three things must not change: the openness to learn, the ability to adapt and the innate trait of keeping their feet on the ground.
“Hindi dapat kami tumitigil na matuto kasi every day, laging may bagong pinapagawa sa’min. Nakikita namin na sobrang laking tulong niya sa’min kaya ‘yun ‘yung babauinin namin sa next round na walang mag-sstop sa amin,” said Lacsina.
“When it comes to professional level, you have to be able to be ready for changes and learn to adapt. I’ve been through a lot of changes na rin naman sa career ko so itong recent change na ‘to, hindi naman sa bago, but I think may experiences na ako and I know what to do when those changes come,” Domingo added.
Okaro, who ranks second in scoring for the tournament with a 24.6 point average knows that the job's not finished despite the glistening start.
“I’m still very humble myself because even though we have these wins, I know that there’s still so many things that I can work on, the team can work on because just looking forward, like what Coach Taka said, we’re not gonna have a lot of time in between,” Okaro explained.
“It’s just really important that we stay calm and focus on the things that we’re still struggling with as a team.”
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