Eli Soyud kept her composure under pressure, delivering the game-winning ace that sent Akari into the final round of the play-in of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference last Saturday.
Choco Mucho entered the decider with momentum after a dominant fourth-set performance that forced a fifth set.
The Flying Titans then battled tooth and nail in the final frame, creating multiple opportunities to steal the match as the extended set wore on. But they ultimately fell short as the Chargers held firm in the closing moments.
With the fifth set hanging by the slimmest of margins, a costly service error from Lorraine Pecaña proved decisive, giving Akari a 20-19 edge and a golden chance to move closer to a coveted semifinal spot.
From there, Eli Soyud took over. Stepping to the service line with everything on the line, she delivered the finishing blow with a clutch ace that sent the Chargers bench erupting as Akari sealed the hard-fought 25-15, 23-25, 25-16, 15-25, 21-19 victory.
(C) PVL Images
“’Yung mindset ko kanina, i-pasok lang. Kasi marami pang mangyayari kapag pinasok ko. So ‘yun lang ginawa ko, ‘di ko inisip, basta pinasok ko lang ‘yung bola,” said Soyud, who finished as Akari’s second-leading scorer with 18 points.
“Yung paging kalmado, kasi kapag kalmado ‘yung lahat mas nakakapag-isip. ‘Yung composure namin nandoon, mas naririnig namin ‘yung teammates and coaches, so mas okay ‘yung kalmado. ‘’Yun ‘yung ginawa namin kanina, talagang pinakalma namin lahat, kahit na napakaingay na ’yung challenge,” she added.
For Soyud, the poise she showed in that pressure-packed sequence was rooted in the sacrifices the team had made throughout the grind of the conference—efforts she said she simply could not allow to go to waste.
The 30-year-old opposite spiker said the team helped each other stay composed in the crucial stretch, crediting their collective effort for keeping them steady in the closing moments of the match.
“Sa akin naman, pinag-usapan kasi namin kanina ‘yung pagod, which is sabi namin na parang hindi puwedeng mapagod kami para sa wala. So talagang nilaban namin kanina kahit na sobrang intense na kailangan naming pakalmahin ang bawat isa para worth it ang naging pagod namin today,” Soyud said.
Akari will next face Creamline for a spot in the semifinals, bracing for a tougher test ahead.
Soyud acknowledged the challenge of going up against a championship-caliber squad but said the team will lean on patience and perseverance as they continue their push in the tournament.
“Same lang din sa sinabi ni Ivy. Siyempre, ‘yun nga, champion team, mahirap din silang kalaban lalo na sa ganitong mga crucial na laro kasi mas experienced sila kaysa sa amin,” the Adamson product said.
“Ang magiging puhunan talaga namin is tiyaga at pasensya.”
#WATCH: PASOK LANG 🏐
Eli Soyud and Ivy Lacsina look back on their all-out outing that carried Akari to the #PVL2026 Play-in final#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/FL2ljqxhgY
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/o2OltOtu16
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 28, 2026
