After a dark and stormy start to the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, Akari was struggling to find its spark.
The Chargers stumbled out of the gate, dropping their first three matches against Choco Mucho, ZUS Coffee, and PLDT. The rough start cast a shadow over their campaign, leaving head coach Tina Salak searching for answers.
Then, as if a switch had been flipped, everything changed.
Akari has since ignited a four-game winning streak, toppling serious contenders Nxled, Cignal, Capital1, and their latest victim, Creamline—each victory like a streetlamp brightening the night, gradually chasing away the shadows of their early-season struggles.
At last, Salak finally saw the light.
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“We can see the light, ‘yun lang ang gusto kong sabihin. We can see the light,” Salak said after the Chargers’ massive four-set 25-21, 26-24, 17-25, 25-21 win over the Cool Smashers on Thursday.
But the journey doesn’t stop there.
With a 4-3 record and suddenly sitting in fourth place, Akari still has two crucial games left against Galeries Tower and Farm Fresh. Their streak will be put to the test as they fight to hold onto a top-four spot and secure an outright qualifying-round berth.
Salak wants her team to stay hungry, knowing this winning streak is just the beginning—and that true success will come only if they refuse to settle for what they’ve achieved so far.
“Mas gusto ko ‘yung hungry sila eh, kahit wala pang identity ngayon, at least nakikita natin ‘yung composure ng bawat isa,” Salak said. “Yung hunger kasi, hindi nasa-satisfy, walang satisfication, so I think ‘yung identity will remain ‘yung Akari pa rin. Gusto ko lang din magkaroon sila ng mas mataas na standard sa level ng playing nila.
“Whatever works, tuloy lang. We see the light.”
