The Akari Chargers marked a grueling stretch in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference with a huge victory over the Galeries Tower Highrisers, extending their winning streak to five games.
A grueling stretch for Akari has now turned into a five-game winning streak.
After opening the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference with three straight losses, the Chargers have turned things around and are now on the brink of a coveted qualifying round berth.
Akari moved closer to that goal thanks to a 25-23, 25-23, 14-25, 26-24, victory over Galeries Tower on Tuesday at the City of Santa Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex in Laguna.
Despite their good momentum, head coach Tina Salak admitted the team is feeling the toll of a demanding stretch of matches, now prioritizing recovery moving forward.
"I think sa amin buti nairaos namin, 'yun talaga nairaos namin ng maayos, and then of course 'yung recovery hindi pa enough," Salak said during the post-game press conference.
"'Yung previous games, hindi biro. So 'yun 'yung recovery ang hinahanap namin ngayon. Kitang-kita naman sa galaw."
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The win improved the Chargers to 5-3, putting them just one victory away from securing a top-4 spot and a chance to fight for an outright semifinal berth in the next round.
Salak went on to praise her players’ commitment, noting how the team continues to show up and push through even when fatigue begins to set in.
"Mismo sa kanila din, everyday sa training, kahit na alam ko na napapagod na sila, they show up," she said.
"Even sa mga coaches, sinutulungan din namin sila. Hindi pwedeng kami din 'yung magbibigay sa kanila ng intensity na mababa."
Salak also revealed that several players were under the weather during the match, making the victory even more meaningful for the squad.
"Malaking pasasalamat ko, sobrang proud ako sa team na naiahon namin 'tong game na 'to," she added.
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In the win over the Highrisers, Ced Domingo led Akari with 14 points. Meanwhile, Fifi Sharma and Eli Soyud chipped in 13 and 12 markers, respectively.
On the other side, the loss was the fourth straight for Galeries Tower, which dropped to 2-6 and into the play-in stage alongside ZUS Coffee and four yet-to-be-determined teams.
Akari will now shift its focus to its last matchup in the preliminaries against Farm Fresh on Saturday at the FilOil Centre in San Juan.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.