Subic Bay eyes tourism boost with Shore Fishing tournament
5
Akari sweeps Petro Gazz, books quarterfinal spot against Cignal
Akari clinched a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) On Tour after defeating short-handed Petro Gazz, 32-30, 25-22, 25-19, on Tuesday, August 5, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
The Chargers regrouped from a chaotic first set, where they wasted six points, before finding their rhythm and pulling away behind a well-balanced attack and improved composure.
The win not only sealed their place in the knockout round but also marked a turning point for the young team, who are steadily adapting to the system of their head coach, Tina Salak.
AKARI CHARGERS
“We’re really happy because we worked hard for this,” said Best Player of the Game Ivy Lacsina, who spearheaded Akari’s offense with 16 points, including three blocks. “We’re beginning to see the system coach T wants to implement, and slowly, it’s showing in how we play.”
Lacsina credited their intense training stretch for their breakthrough. “The past three weeks were tough—literal tears during training. But our mindset was to make it all worth it. This win made everything worthwhile.”
Petro Gazz, missing key players Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips, and an injured Jonah Sabete, couldn’t match Akari’s energy and execution. The Chargers overwhelmed the Angels in attack (53-35) and led in blocks (9-6), with standout contributions across the roster.
Veteran Gretchel Soltones provided timely hits and anchored the defense with 13 markers and six digs, while Eli Soyud added 15 points and six digs. Rookie Chen Tagaod fired three consecutive aces in a key third-set stretch, and Bea Bonafe impressed once again with 14 excellent sets.
“I’m very happy with the result,” said Salak. “We used the break to help them recover and make adjustments. It feels good to win. We expected to fight, but not a sweep.”
Salak also praised Bonafe’s poise during crunch time. “I told her, ‘Be confident, your teammates can handle it.’ I’m thankful that through Petro Gazz, we saw Bea’s potential.”
Despite Petro Gazz’s late resistance in the opening set, highlighted by key plays from Myla Pablo and Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Akari’s grit and depth ultimately prevailed. Lacsina’s back-to-back kills finally sealed the grueling 32-30 opener, setting the tone for the rest of the match.
Now surging with confidence, Akari looks ahead to a high-stakes quarterfinal showdown against No. 2 seed Cignal on Thursday, August 7.
