Akari, Cignal Gear Up for Semifinal Showdowns: Top two seeds focus on maintaining momentum ahead of crucial matches

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SAN JUAN CITY, Philippines — As they advance to the semifinals of the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference, top-seeded Akari Chargers and No. 2 seed Cignal HD Spikers are preparing intensely for their upcoming do-or-die matches.

Both teams narrowly escaped upsets in the knockout quarterfinals over the weekend, with their eyes now firmly set on a spot in the finals.

Akari showcased their resilience once again, bouncing back from a first-set loss to secure a 17-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-23 victory over the Farm Fresh Foxies. The win extends their unbeaten streak to nine games and puts them just one victory away from a historic finals appearance.

“For others, reaching this point is already historic, but as long as we haven’t held the trophy, we haven’t proven anything,” Akari’s Grethcel Soltones said.

“It’s about the hard work we’ve put in as a team. We didn’t get here by taking things easy.”

Akari’s prized import, Oly Okaro, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the team’s motivation and the importance of continuous improvement.

“We’re so motivated because it’s all or nothing at this point,” Okaro said. “We just need to fix some things from our last game.”

Cignal, meanwhile, fought back from the brink of collapse to defeat Capital1 in a five-set thriller, 25-19, 36-34, 16-25, 22-25, 15-12.

The HD Spikers, led by Venezuelan import MJ Perez, are now focused on maintaining their momentum as they prepare for a potential clash with either the Creamline Cool Smashers or the Petro Gazz Angels.

“We’re so blessed to have reached this far,” said Cignal head coach Shaq delos Santos. “I’m proud of this team, for the effort they put in both in training and in games. They always play all-out.”

Perez, who played a key role in overcoming Marina Tushova’s 50-point performance in the quarterfinals, remains confident in her team’s ability to go all the way.

“I never thought we were going to lose. My mindset has always been positive,” Perez said. “We’ve been working so hard and fighting, and we deserve to win.”

As Akari and Cignal prepare for their semifinal matchups, both teams are acutely aware that the journey is far from over.

The focus now shifts to refining their strategies and maintaining the high level of play that has brought them this far.

“The job is still not yet done. There’s a lot of work to do, but this is the first step,” Perez added. “We have to keep our target, which is to be in the finals and win.”