Akari and high-scoring imports have become a recurring theme.
Less than two years after Prisilla Rivera lifted Akari to a five-set win over Choco Mucho by scoring a Premier Volleyball League record 44 points, Oly Okaro came close on Tuesday in the 2024 Reinforced Conference.
Coincidentally, Okaro’s 38-point explosion that gave the Chargers an 18-25, 16-25, 25-21, 25-23, 15-13 win was also against the Flying Titans.
The 28-year-old American opposite spiker’s scoring eruption was good for fifth all-time for a reinforcement in PVL history and second in the league’s professional era.
She only lagged behind Rivera (2022), Kia Bright’s 41 points for BanKo Perlas (2018), Michelle Strizak’s 40 for Pocari (2017), and Tess Rountree’s 39 for PayMaya (2018).
Only Okaro and Rivera’s scoring onslaughts resulted in wins.
“I would say it’s nice to be fifth in the league, I probably could be better so keep working to get better,” said Okaro, who unleashed her true power after a 16-point debut last Thursday in a four-set win against Capital1.
What made it more impressive for Okaro was how she willed Akari back into the game after losing the first two sets and having their backs against the wall.
Her determination and fighting spirit never wavered, knowing it takes three frames to win a match.
(C) PVL Images
“My mindset was just, I was still in destroy mode because I was just thinking, even though we lost the first two sets, it didn’t mean anything to me. I just really wanted to win. We just wanted to do everything we could to win,” Okaro said.
“I just came to fight. I knew that there’s no way I’m leaving without fighting, as well as the rest of the team,” she added.
“We all had the same mindset, so even after we lost the first two sets, it turned from a physical game to also a mental game, knowing that we needed to stay strong mentally because it’s gonna be a long game.”
Okaro and the Chargers joined Cignal atop Pool B with a 2-0 record. They will next face Petro Gazz on Saturday before capping the first round with matches against ZUS Coffee and the HD Spikers.
And in those three games, who knows, Okaro might elevate her standing in PVL history even more.
