Eli Soyud delivered a career-defining offensive showcase, exploding for 30 points and capping her stellar performance with a clutch backrow kill as Akari outlasted Farm Fresh, 25-22, 25-27, 22-25, 25-23, 15-12, to revive its semifinal drive in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Tuesday.
With the match hanging in the balance, Soyud’s decisive hit helped the Chargers survive a tense fifth-set battle marked by multiple deadlocks and lead changes, as they capitalized on Farm Fresh’s late miscues to escape with a hard-earned two-hour, 31-minute victory.
The win was Akari’s second straight after opening its campaign with two defeats, putting the Chargers back in the thick of the Final Four race in the first of three series under the league’s revamped All-Filipino Conference format.
Soyud, who hammered down 27 attack points to spearhead Akari’s offense, said the team was determined to make up for its early setbacks and show its true potential.
“Kailangan lang naming bumawi sa mga nakaraang games na natalo kami. Alam ko naman na hindi pa talaga naipapakita ng team ang buong potential namin,” said Soyud.
The Chargers’ renewed determination, she added, has been instrumental in turning their fortunes around after a shaky start.
“Ang nag-click sa amin ay ’yung willingness ng bawat isa na manalo at bumawi sa mga unang talo namin,” she said.
Ivy Lacsina put up a solid 21-point performance, while Fifi Sharma added 11 points, including three blocks, the last of which denied Royse Tubino and put Akari at match point.
The Chargers also dominated at the net with a commanding 13-3 advantage in blocks, despite holding only a slim 72-71 edge in attacks.
“Yung character kasi ng bawa’t isa nandoon, kailangan lang mailabas,” said Akari deput coach Eddieson Orcullo. “Ngayon siguro nagkaroon lang kami ng Magandang connection sa bawa’t isa kaya ‘yung gustong mangyari, nai-translate sa puntos.”
Akari’s latest triumph followed a straight-sets romp over PLDT, giving the team a much-needed boost after its opening losses to Creamline and Capital1.
Despite the narrow final margin, the match was a fiercely contested exchange of attacks, digs and blocks, and saves, with neither side able to establish lasting control. Farm Fresh appeared poised to complete a comeback after taking the second and third sets, but the Chargers refused to fold, forcing a decider before finding another gear in the closing stretch.
The Foxies showed considerable resilience in recovering from their first-set loss to take the next two frames, but their bid to close out the match fell short in the fourth set. Akari seized the opening, restored parity and carried its momentum into the deciding frame, where it delivered the stronger finishing kick.
The match was the sixth five-setter in three weeks in the conference’s new three-series format, underscoring the competitive balance of a tournament in which teams have continued to push one another regardless of their standings and early results.
While Soyud supplied the finishing firepower, Mars Alba orchestrated Akari’s attack with 22 excellent sets, outplaying counterpart Alohi Robins-Hardy, who finished with 17.
Alba also flaunted her offensive prowess, finishing with eight points.
Trisha Tubu topscored for Farm Fresh with 25 points, while Tubino and Mylene Paat-Rezanova added 14 and 12 points, respectively, and Ces Molina chipped in nine markers.
The Chargers actually conceded more free points, 29-22, but kept their composure and minimized their errors down the stretch, capitalizing on a crucial miscue by their rivals to fuel their late-game surge.
With a week to prepare before facing the winless Galeries Tower Highrisers on Nov. 3 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Soyud said the Chargers would use the break to address their remaining weaknesses and further strengthen their team chemistry.
“Mas ipo-polish pa namin ang mga naging kulang namin sa laro ngayon. Magtitiis, magsisikap at patuloy kaming magtitiwala sa isa’t isa,” she said.
