Akari aching for stardom

After finishing seventh in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference, Akari’s next target is to be mentioned in the same breath with the league’s big guns.

“I think the team is just trying to penetrate the higher section of the teams (in the league), so hopefully next conference we can achieve that,” Chargers’ middle blocker Fifi Sharma said.

The Chargers finished with five wins and six losses, including a swift 25-8, 25-15, 25-16, victory over Strong Group Athletics to end their run on Saturday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

The 5-foot-11 former De La Salle University Lady Spiker believes the upward trend of her squad’s performance is a sign of better things to come for the young team which also finished seventh in the Second All-Filipino Conference in 2023.

“I feel like it’s a good end for the team because we’ve been doing progressively after every conference,” Sharma said.

“So hopefully, next conference, with hopefully new additions, we’ll improve as a team and we’ll jell more.”

For team captain and libero Michelle Cobb, who witnessed the progress of the team since its formation in 2022, improving their confidence is the key to keeping up with the powerhouse teams.

“I think on the top of (my) head, what we need to improve is confidence,” Cobb said.

“I mean we’re confident that we can beat the ones below us but our goal really is to be a part of the unpredictability at the top. We wanted to be a part of that.”

Sharma also expressed the need for the team to pool more players as they faced the Athletics with only 11 players, when Ced Domingo, Trisha Genesis, and Erika Ragaas weren’t able to suit up for the team.

“In addition, we’re undermanned. Earlier there were just eleven of us, so hopefully with the new additions, at least, there wouldn’t be so much pressure on other players,” Sharma said.