The Akari Chargers did just enough—and just in time. What looked like a straightforward sweep turned into a tense, back-and-forth grind, but the Chargers steadied themselves late to outlast the Galeries Tower Highrisers, 25-23, 25-23, 14-25, 26-24, in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday at the Santa Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna.
After opening the tournament with three straight losses, Akari has now strung together five consecutive wins to climb to 5-3 and strengthen its push for a Top 4 finish in the Qualifying Round. At stake is a crucial advantage, with the top four teams advancing to crossover matches for outright semifinal slots, while the rest are forced into a sudden-death Play-In gauntlet.
Akari had control early, but never quite looked comfortable. The Chargers edged out the first two sets, only to unravel in the third as Galeries Tower seized momentum. That shift carried into the fourth, where the Highrisers erased a 7-14 deficit and repeatedly threatened to force a decider. They tied the frame twice, the last at 20, and even saved two match points, putting Akari on the ropes.
Akari Makes It Count in the Right Moments
But when it mattered most, the Chargers found their answer. After Erika Raagas kept Galeries alive with a clutch ace, she followed it up with a costly service error that handed momentum right back. On the next sequence, Eli Soyud rose to the moment, firing a crosscourt kill that finally shut the door.
Against Galeries Tower, Akari leaned on balance rather than the dominance of one or two players. Mars Alba orchestrated the offense with 27 excellent sets and four points to earn Best Player of the Game honors. With Ivy Lacsina limited, Ced Domingo and Fifi Sharma took charge in the middle with 14 and 13 points, respectively, while Soyud added 12, including the clincher.
For Galeries Tower, the loss dropped them to 2-6, but not without a fight. Aiza Pontillas led with 17 points, while Raagas, Jean Asis, and Erika Deloria combined for 37 in a spirited stand.
What’s Next in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference
Thursday, March 19 • Filoil Centre
Nxled Chameleons vs. PLDT High Speed Hitters, 4:00 p.m.
Choco Mucho Flying Titans vs. ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, 6:30 p.m.
Akari Chargers
Saturday, March 21 vs. Farm Fresh Foxies, 4:00 p.m., Filoil Centre
Galeries Tower Highrisers
Saturday, March 21 vs. Capital1 Solar Spikers, 6:30 p.m., Filoil Centre
