Akari withstood a fierce fightback from Choco Mucho, holding its ground in a thrilling five-set duel, 25-15, 23-25, 25-16, 15-25, 21-19, to move a step closer to the semifinals of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference on Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
With their tournament life on the line, the Chargers showed nerves of steel, fending off a gutsy Flying Titans in the final frame. They leaned on the duo of Ivy Lacsina and Eli Soyud in the clutch to secure a spot in the next round of the play-in stage.
The Flying Titans had actually moved to the brink of stealing the game at 17-16, sparked by a surprise hit from setter Tia Andaya and a towering block from Kat Tolentino on Lacsina. But just as quickly, the momentum swung.
(C) PVL Images
Lacsina shrugged off the rejection with a blistering cross-court hit to keep Akari alive, before Soyud rose to the occasion with a clutch block on Laure to reclaim match point at 18-17. Still, Choco Mucho refused to fold.
With the pressure mounting, Tolentino took charge, delivering back-to-back hits that dragged the Flying Titans back into contention, knotting the score at 19-all as tension inside the arena reached a fever pitch.
In the end, it came down to the smallest of margins.
A costly service error from Lorraine Pecaña handed Akari a final opening—and this time, the Chargers made sure it would count. Soyud stepped up and fired a decisive serve that froze Choco Mucho’s defense, sealing a hard-earned victory.
“Actually, sobrang proud ako kasi ano na ’to eh—will na nila to step into the next round. Given na lahat na ginawa naming adjustments, nag-adjust din si Choco Mucho,” said Akari head coach Tina Salak.
“Sobrang intense nung training namin just to know the tendencies ng Choco Mucho. But still, yun nga, yung will nila manalo—wanting it more—dun sa next level na game namin,” she added.
Lacsina led all scorers with 30 points, built on 28 attacks, one ace, and one kill block, complemented by 27 excellent receptions and 10 excellent digs to finish with a triple-double in the Chargers’ crucial win that kept them alive in the semis race.
Soyud contributed 18 points on 11 attacks, five of the team’s total 12 blocks, along with two aces in the marathon two-hour and 12-minute match.
Two more Akari players reached double figures, with Fifi Sharma scoring 13 points and Grethcel Soltones delivering a two-way display of 11 points and 23 excellent receptions.
Mars Alba orchestrated the plays with precision, tallying 21 excellent sets alongside five markers, while team captain Justine Jazareno starred defensively with 28 excellent receptions for the Chargers.
(C) PVL Images
Meanwhile, the Flying Titans, coming off a gripping five-set win over ZUS Coffee, looked poised for another comeback. They put on a dominant fourth-set showing and battled Akari deep into the deciding frame, only for costly errors to unravel their charge in the end.
Eya Laure, who sat out the entire first set, finished with a team-high 20 points on 17 attacks and three kill blocks, along with 12 excellent receptions and 11 excellent digs, while Tolentino added 19 points on 16 attacks and three kill blocks in the heartbreaking defeat.
Sisi Rondina, the team’s leading scorer for the tournament, was limited to just 13 points, paired with 20 excellent receptions.
