Soyud drops 30 as Akari survives Farm Fresh thriller

Games Thursday, Oct. 29

(Santiago Sports Arena, Santiago City, Isabela)

3:30 p.m. – ZUS Coffee vs. PLDT

6 p.m. – Capital1 vs. Creamline

MANILA — Eli Soyud delivered a career-defining offensive performance, erupting for 30 points and capping her stellar showing with a clutch back-row kill as Akari outlasted Farm Fresh, 25-22, 25-27, 22-25, 25-23, 15-12, to revive its semifinal bid in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series at Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

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 errors to secure a hard-earned victory in two hours and 31 minutes.

The win was Akari’s second straight after opening its campaign with two defeats, putting the Chargers back in contention for a Final Four berth in the first of three series under the league’s revamped All-Filipino Conference format.

Soyud, who hammered 27 attack points to spearhead Akari’s offense, said the team was determined to bounce back from its early setbacks and show its full 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 delivered 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 assistant 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 victory over PLDT, giving the team a much-needed boost after its opening losses to Creamline and Capital1.

Despite the narrow final margin, the match featured a fiercely contested exchange of attacks, digs, blocks and saves, with neither team 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 opportunity, leveled the match and carried its momentum into the deciding frame, where it delivered the stronger finish.

The match was the sixth five-setter in three weeks under the conference’s new three-series format, underscoring the competitive balance of a tournament in which teams have continued to challenge one another regardless of their standings and early results.

While Soyud supplied the finishing firepower, Mars Alba orchestrated Akari’s offense with 22 excellent sets, outperforming Farm Fresh counterpart Alohi Robins-Hardy, who finished with 17.

Alba also showcased her offensive skills, contributing eight points.

Trisha Tubu led Farm Fresh with 25 points, while Tubino and Mylene Paat-Rezanova added 14 and 12 points, respectively, and Ces Molina chipped in nine.

The Chargers conceded more points through errors, 29-22, but maintained their composure down the stretch, capitalizing on a crucial Farm Fresh mistake to fuel their late-game surge.

With a week to prepare before facing the winless Galeries Tower Highrisers on Nov. 3 at Smart Araneta Coliseum, Soyud said the Chargers would use the break to address their remaining weaknesses and 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.