A tricky start won’t dim Akari’s quest to open the new PVL season on a high.
It was a recharged Akari offense that crushed Galeries Tower's hopes of a statement season-opener with a 28-30, 25-15, 25-16, 25-23 fightback on Saturday to kick off the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena.
Akari settled for the short end of the stick in a nip-and-tuck first frame that gave the league’s longtime cellar dwellers the early driver’s seat.
Then came a surprise package in a spiker-stacked Chargers side: veteran opposite hitter Eli Soyud.
The 28-year-old winger showed the way with a game-best 21 markers topped by six blocks to lead a troika of 16-point performances from Ivy Lacsina, Grethcel Soltones, and the returning Faith Nisperos.
Nisperos and Fifi Sharma missed the entirety of last season’s Reinforced Conference to fulfill their national team duties with Alas Pilipinas.
Yet they still needed to adjust and seek a fresh start to restore the feeling of home in the pros.
“Everything is a process talaga and I think I’m still at the point of trying to adapt, trying to jell more into the system, especially sa setters kasi siyempre sila talaga ‘yung ka-relationship ko pag dating sa paglalaro,” Nisperos said.
“It’s a process, it’s a long conference so I’m gonna take that opportunity, more than trying to win but like trying to improve each game.”
Relearning her old ways in Akari
The Alas Pilipinas hotshot and former Ateneo skipper felt she was schooled in the sense of relearning the basics of playing under Minowa’s system.
To say the least, it was a learning experience she’s more than willing to go through over again.
“I guess I could say I had to re-learn in a way na I have to integrate with new teammates kasi, so it’s going to take time but since it’s a long conference, time is everything as what coach Taka said.”
Nisperos furthered, “We’ll see in the future games or future trainings on how well, how fast we could adapt.”
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