Akari hardly had time to prepare for the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference following the blockbuster exchange that saw them swap key players with sister team Nxled during the offseason.
New Chargers head coach Taka Minowa – who was part of the deal along with Ivy Lacsina, Kamille Cal, Camille Victoria, and Dani Ravena – said that injuries hampered their transition to the team.
Minowa revealed that Akari had not conducted any scrimmages until the arrival of American reinforcement Oly Okaro.
(C) Joaqui Flores/PVL
“Since the exchange of Akari-Nxled players, we haven’t had enough time to practice because many players were injured during the last conference and after we started practice,” said the Japanese head coach, who previously handled Akari.
“Until Oly (Okaro) came to Akari, we hadn’t done any six-on-six drills. Maybe now, we will start doing six-on-six and also work on building the team’s connection, especially since we don’t have any tune-ups,” he added.
Minowa, the husband of Filipino superstar Jaja Santiago, said that his main goal right now is to integrate Okaro with the locals and help them build better chemistry for the games ahead.
“We need to maximize this time to improve and also establish a connection with Oly. As a coach, my purpose is to combine Oly with the team and integrate her with Akari,” he said.
(C) PVL Images
Despite the lack of preparation, the Chargers still managed a winning start after staving off Capital1 in four sets, 25-18, 27-25, 22-25, 25-14, at the Philsports Arena last Thursday.
Okaro, a 6-foot-1 opposite spiker, delivered 16 points on 14 attacks, one ace, and one block.
Minowa is confident that Akari can reach its potential due to its skilled young core.
“I can see, especially in this match, that they’re doing really well. We’re just having a hard time because we can’t yet adjust to our foreign player,” said Minowa.
“But in the fourth set, I made tactical changes during timeouts, and immediately, the players adjusted. That’s very important for becoming a top-four team or one of the best teams in the Philippines.”
