Mindanao’s own Chenie Tagaod made her fellow southerners proud with an inspired performance in Akari’s thrilling win in the South Cotabato stop of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) On Tour Showdown.

Tagaod finished with a game-high 19 points to fuel the Chargers in a hard-fought victory over Choco Mucho, 27-25, 27-25, 21-25, 25-22, on Saturday at the Polomolok Gymnasium.

The winger, who hails from Tagum City in Davao del Norte, was all smiles not just because of Akari’s first preseason win but also because her family was at the venue to watch her play.

“I played inspired today because my family is here to watch me play. I was able to see my father and sibling here. I hope I made them proud,” Tagaod said.

The Far Eastern University product was solid at the net after accounting for six of the Chargers’ 17 kill blocks. Tagaod also had 11 attacks and landed two aces as a starter in all four sets.

Tagaod was also proud of her breakout game as it came on a match witnessed live by her fellow Mindanaoans.

“Of course, I’m happy I’m able to showcase to my fellow Bisaya what a Bisaya can do,” said the 10th overall pick in the 2025 Draft.

“I hope I could inspire other aspiring talents here to dream big and maybe one day be able to play also here in the PVL,” she added.

Akari notched a rebound win almost a month since suffering a four-set loss to ZUS Coffee in Ilagan City in Isabela.

“We trained well for this game. We expected to play well here. As you can see, some of us were already cramping but we kept on fighting. We kept playing,” Tagaod said.

Tagaod and the Chargers will return to Mindanao on 15 August when the PVL visits Lanao del Norte.

Akari is squaring off with PLDT at the close of the short preseason showcase.