In a match defined by grit, aggression and poise, Fifi Sharma stood tallest when it mattered most, leading Akari to a pulsating 25-23, 20-25, 11-25, 25-23, 15-12 comeback win over Cignal in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference match Saturday at the FilOil Playtime Centre.
Sharma wound up with 16 points, highlighted by five emphatic blocks, but it was her quick attacks — and the swagger that followed each one — that electrified the Chargers and broke the Super Spikers’ resistance.
Every time Sharma connected on a quick, she turned to her side of the court with fire in her eyes — a fist pump here, a roar there — igniting belief in a team that had just absorbed a crushing 11-25 third-set defeat. Three straight quick hits from the middle in the fourth set flipped the momentum and anchored Akari’s fightback.
Far from folding after the blowout, the Chargers regrouped. They steadied themselves in the fourth, matching Cignal point for point before forcing a decider. Then in the fifth, they leaned on Sharma’s composure and dominance at the net.
With the score tied at 8 in the deciding frame, Sharma delivered another signature quick attack to spark a decisive run for an 11-8 cushion. Minutes later, she rose for a thunderous block on Erika Santos to stretch the lead to 14-11 — a rejection that sent the Akari bench into a frenzy and left Cignal scrambling.
Grethcel Soltones eventually sealed the two-hour, 14-minute thriller with a gutsy power tip, but Sharma had already imposed her will. From her timing in the middle to her imposing presence on defense, she dictated the tone in crunch time.
“I just missed playing my best and I’m just happy that I contributed for my team,” said Sharma after earning Best Player of the Game honors.
More than the numbers, it was her energy that defined the win. Each quick attack came with conviction. Each block came with authority. And each celebration carried the message that Akari refused to be rattled.