By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Akari shook off a third-set hiccup and turned back Nxled, 25-18, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22, to snap a three-game skid in the Premier Volleyball All-Filipino Conference at the Filoil Centre in San Juan City on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
The Chargers leaned on their relentless offense behind Ivy Lacsina and Ced Domingo to secure their first win in four outings.
Lacsina unloaded 20 points — all on attacks — to spearhead Akari, while Domingo added 17 points including 14 kills.
Akari dominated at the net, hammering 70 attack points compared to Nxled’s 57 in the two-hour, 10-minute showdown as the Chargers also contained the Chameleons’ dynamic trio in Brooke Van Sickle, Myla Pablo and MJ Phillips.
The Chargers were on the verge of wrapping up the match after taking a 22-20 lead in the third set, but the Chameleons stormed back behind Van Sickle, Jonah Sabete and Djanel Cheng, who combined four unanswered points to seize a 24-22 set-point advantage.
Domingo tried to swing the momentum back to Akari with an off-the-block hit, but a costly service error by Camille Cal that sailed long alloned Nxled to steal the set and force a fourth frame.
Undaunted, the Chargers immediately imposed their will in the next set, unlocking themselves from an early 6-all deadlock by taking 11-8 and 19-15 leads and never looked back.
Eli Soyud and Grethcel Soltones also stepped up for Akari with 13 and 12 points, respectively, while Mars Alba delivered 22 of the team’s 24 excellent sets.
Nxled absorbed its second straight loss to slip at 3-2 despite Van Sickle scoring 16 points, and Pablo and Phillips posting 14 and 12 points, respectively.
