After a shaky debut in the Premier Volleyball League last Reinforced Conference, Akari head coach Jorge Souza de Brito is confident the team will outdo itself in the coming All-Filipino Conference with newly-acquired veteran Dindin Santiago-Manabat leading the Chargers.
In its first-ever tournament in the country's first and only professional volleyball league, Akari brought in three-time Olympian Prisilla Rivera as its guest player but they could only manage to finish eighth in the nine-team field.
However, Manabat can be a game-changer for the youngest franchise in the PVL.
“She can bring the experience and the leadership because we’re a young team, young in the competition. She will teach the team a lot,” said de Brito at the All-Filipino press conference at the Discovery Suites Manila in Pasig on Saturday.
Manabat was part of Chery Tiggo for the past six years, being an integral part of the Crossovers' championship in the 2021 Open Conference at the Bacarra bubble in Ilocos Norte.
The 6-foot-2 spiker also had stints abroad, specifically in Japan and Thailand, two of Asia's best countries in the sport.
She played for Toray and Kurobe in Japan V.League in the 2018 to 2020 seasons, while she suited up for Nakhon Ratchasima along with Mylene Paat in the Volleyball Thailand League in the 2021-22 season.
With Manabat now part of the Chargers while also getting the services of Eli Soyud, Bang Pineda, and Camille Victoria, De Brito now aims for the Top Four.
“I’m expecting the best result possible. I know that the guys will do better. We almost have the same line-up but I hope we can finish better than last year,” said De Brito, who also handles the country's women's national team.
“Hopefully we play in the Final Four and I am hoping for the best for this Akari team.”
