Ivy Lacsina remains locked in on the ultimate goal despite Akari’s crucial Game 1 victory over Galeries Tower in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference quarterfinals on Saturday night.
Lacsina emphasized that her focus remains on helping the Chargers secure their first-ever PVL title, knowing that their strong start in the quarterfinals is just one step toward the bigger objective.
“Siguro po for us po, parang hindi lang po ito ‘yung kaya namin kasi lagi kaming sinasabihan ni Coach Taka (Minowa) na hindi puwedeng ma-satisfy kami kung ano nagagawa namin,” said the 25-year-old outside hitter.
Akari halted Galeries Tower — who was coming off a stunning upset victory over Cignal in the qualifying round — and secured a hard-fought five-set win, 21-25, 25-19, 20-25, 25-16, 15-11, to draw first blood in their best-of-three quarterfinal series.
(C) PVL Images
“Hindi porket nanalo kami titigil na kami, so para sa amin, hangga’t hindi namin nagagawa ‘yung pinaka-goal namin o nakukuha, hindi pa ito ‘yung pinaka-gusto namin,” Lacsina added.
The former National University standout played a pivotal role in the victory. She matched her career-best performance with a 28-point explosion built on 22 attacks and six kill blocks against the tenth-ranked Highrisers.
Despite her stellar performance, Lacsina stressed that the victory was a collective effort, crediting her teammates for their resilience and teamwork in securing the crucial win.
“Sa’kin po siguro, siyempre dun po kami babalik, ‘yung hirap bago kami napunta dito kasi kung alam niyo lang kung gaano kahirap. Siguro inisip lang po namin na gagawin po namin itong laro para sa kasama po namin kasi lahat po kami nagtulungan talaga, simula sa management, coaches, and teammates,” said Lacsina.
“Kaya wala po talagang nag-iwanan, lalo na po ngayon na nagkakaroon kami ng pains sa katawan. Talagang tiyaga po at meron at meron papalit sa posisyon na ‘yun na ready.”
The Chargers had to overcome a rough start to fend off the gritty Highrisers, with Lacsina joining forces with Eli Soyud and Grethcel Soltones to help the team claw its way back from a 1-2 set deficit.
And after dominating the fourth set, Lacsina knew at that moment that the team had regained its rhythm and confidence, setting the stage for a strong finish in the decisive fifth frame.
“Siguro nung dumating kami nung fourth set tapos lamang kami, kasi siyempre tinrabaho na namin eh hanggang dun. So minindset ko lang na sa amin ‘to.”
