ENTERING the quarterfinals, the odds were against the tournament's lowest-seeded team in Akari especially going up against the top-ranked Farm Fresh in the quarterfinals of the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference.
But head coach Tina Salak knows that these rankings go out the window when the playoffs start.
“Ayokong tinitignan na underdog. Pagdating ng ganito, there’s no underdogs, there’s no champions. We’re all level na,” she said.
“Mindset kasi ‘pag underdog ka, para sa akin, hindi tama. It’s more on how we respect ourselves, our opponents, and everything we did to get here.”
READ: Akari takes out top seed Farm Fresh in historic PVL playoff upset
Salak considers this her first “official conference” with the Chargers - her first real chance to settle in, focus deeply, and establish direction within the group.
“Nagkaroon ng clarity and direction. Going to the semis, we have to make sure na hindi maging shaky yung performance namin this time,” the tactician uttered.
Akari’s preliminaries were far from perfect, their rhythm inconsistent, their footing unsure. But Salak understood the turbulence that it was a season of transition, and transitions take time.
It wasn’t new for the mentor since long before Akari, Salak spent years molding FEU Lady Tamaraws into a contender despite consistently entering tournaments far from the top of the ladder.
There, she embodied the ‘Be Brave’ philosophy now fueling Akari’s surge.
“Hindi ako nagpapabaya sa ginagawa ko. I have to focus on everything. I have to maintain na nandun pa rin ako every time,” she shared.
“We have to maintain yung relationship namin at the level na approachable pa rin. They can still share kung ano yun na nash-share nila. With no judgement dun sa lahat ng validation ng feelings nila.“
Salak also recognizes that one of their biggest challenges this conference is managing the team’s erratic emotions, especially in high-pressure moments.
“Hindi naman robot ‘yan. They feel pressure, they feel lack of confidence. Yun yung bino-boost namin ngayon yung mindset and mentality.”
That emotional maturity surfaced in their tight straight-set victory, yet Salak remains certain that the job isn’t done.
“Kulang. There’s no satisfaction sa lahat ng ginagawa natin not unless tumigil ka na. We have to keep going. Magtatrabaho ulit.”
Akari’s season may not have been smooth, but with Salak, it was never about perfection - It was about courage.
And now, the lowest seed stands among the last four. Not as an underdog, but as a team that chose to be brave.
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