ANTIPOLO – Eli Soyud turned her surprise inclusion in Alas Pilipinas into motivation, delivering a career-best performance to help Akari survive Choco Mucho in a thrilling five-set encounter to open the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference round-robin semifinals.
Soyud had faced backlash from fans after being included in Alas Pilipinas’ 33-player wishlist.
However, she silenced her critics with a dominant display, powering the Chargers to a 20-25, 25-19, 25-23, 23-25, 16-14 victory over the Flying Titans at the Ynares Center here, Saturday.
Building on a strong campaign in the quarterfinals, the 29-year-old opposite spiker elevated her game further. She delivered a season-high-tying 34 points, fueled by 27 attacks and seven aces, to propel Akari to a winning start in the semis.
“For me, isa siyang malaking motivation sa’kin and para na rin sa team ko. Sabi nga ni Jus (Jazareno), nandito na kami so iga-grab na namin yung opportunity at ibibigay yung lahat-lahat habang nandito pa kami,” Soyud shared.
The Adamson University product admitted she felt just as surprised as everyone else when she saw her name on the national team’s wishlist, released last Thursday. Despite the criticism, she remains focused on her own growth and is grateful for the recognition.
(C) PVL Images
“Siyempre nagulat ako na nandun ako sa wishlist. No one expected na nandu’n ako. Kahit namang sino nandu’n, lahat naman may masasabi,” said the Bago, Negros Occidental native.
“Ako, maglalaro lang ako para sa team ko para matulungan sila at para makaangat kami.”
For now, Soyud’s full attention remains on leading Akari back to the Finals and achieving their ultimate goal of winning a championship.
“Ang focus ko talaga ngayon, ako ah, ang focus ko talaga ngayon ay ‘yung PVL,” said Soyud, who was part of the Chargers’ core that formed the national team in the 2023 AVC Challenge Cup.
Her standout performances in the playoffs were crucial in Akari’s success and may have played a role in her inclusion in the Alas Pilipinas pool. She tallied 19 points in the Chargers’ hard-fought five-set win over Galeries Tower in Game 1, then followed it up with a 20-point outing to close out the Highrisers in another grueling five-set battle in Game 2.
Soyud credited head coach Taka Minowa for believing in her, emphasizing how his trust has significantly boosted her confidence and helped her take her game to another level.
“Yung tiwalang binigay sa akin ni Coach Taka, yung coaches and then yung teammates ko, siyempre ito na yung time ko. Nabigyan ako ng playing time. Grinab ko na and siyempre gusto ko din na hindi yun masayang,” Soyud said.
“Sa akin na din yun, binigyan na ko ng playing time so dapat i-grab ko tong opportunity na to para din sa career ko na makapaglaro sa loob and mapatunayan kung kaya ko ba talaga.”
#WATCH: EXTRA MOTIVATION
Justine Jazareno and Eli Soyud reveal how making the PNVF’s wishlist for Alas Pilipinas pushes them to level up their game 🇵🇭🏐
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times#PVL2025 #Sambansa pic.twitter.com/cdVv8xrrSI
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 29, 2025
