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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Volleyball devider Chargers stun top seed Foxies, advance to semis

Chargers stun top seed Foxies, advance to semis

Published Nov 24, 2025 03:40 pm

At A Glance

  • Akari unleashed its might when it mattered most, stunning top seed Farm Fresh with a hard-fought 28-26, 30-28, 25-21 win to clinch the first semifinal berth in the 2025 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Monday, Nov. 24.
Akari is in the semifinals. (PVL Images)
Akari is in the semifinals. (PVL Images)
Akari unleashed its might when it mattered most, stunning top seed Farm Fresh with a hard-fought 28-26, 30-28, 25-21 win to clinch the first semifinal berth in the 2025 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Monday, Nov. 24.
Seeded eighth in the quarterfinals after finishing the preliminaries with a 4-4 record, the Chargers leaned on their playoff poise particularly in the most critical moments to inch closer to another finals appearance.
The squad aims to surpass its runner-up finish to Creamline last year.
The win also snapped Farm Fresh’s imposing four-game winning streak. The Foxies had topped the prelims with a 7-1 card.
As expected, import Annie Mitchem proved unstoppable on offense, firing all 25 of her points off attacks to spearhead Akari’s charge. Grethcel Soltones rediscovered her vintage form with nine kills for 10 points while Eli Soyud added another 10 points.
Playmaker Mars Alba steered the Chargers’explosive attack, dishing out 19 of the team’s 22 excellent sets on top of three points. Libero Justine Jazareno anchored the floor defense with 21 excellent digs.
Akari coach Tina Salak lauded her player’s commitment not only during the match, but also in their preparations the day before.
“Lahat na ito, team effort. From technical stuff to small information and feedback, everything goes sa training pa lang,” said Salak.
“In-all out na namin ngayon. We made sure na yesterday’s training is not our last training. Lahat yun ang mindset namin going into this game,” she added.
While Akari displayed cohesion and grit, Farm Fresh struggled to find its rhythm. Helene Rousseaux emerged as the lone bright spot for the Foxies, erupting for 25 points. The rest of the squad faltered, with Ces Molina and Trisha Tubu limited to eight and six points, respectively.
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