2024 Akari Chargers season
The 2024 Akari Chargers season was the third season of the Akari Chargers in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).
Season summary
This was Akari's first season without Philippines women's national team head coach Jorge Edson, who resigned on December 14, 2023 after coaching the team since it joined the PVL in 2022.[1] Akari then named Raffy Mosuela as his successor on January 23, 2024.[2] On the players' side, the Chargers brought in former Finals MVPs Grethcel Soltones and Celine Domingo from the Petro Gazz Angels and Creamline Cool Smashers, respectively.[3][4] They were joined by new recruit Max Juangco from the FEU Lady Tamaraws.[5]
In the All-Filipino Conference, the Chargers went to a slow start going 0–2 in their first two matches before claiming their first win against the Farm Fresh Foxies on the third match.[6][7] The team went back-and-forth throughout the conference and ended up with a 5–6 record with 15 points. The team finished seventh in the final standings.[8]
Going into the Reinforced Conference, the team went through a reshuffling. On May 20, Akari swapped some of its players with sister team Nxled Chameleons, resulting in Kamille Cal, Ivy Lacsina, Dani Ravena, and Camille Victoria joining the team and Trisha Genesis, Jaja Maraguinot, and Bang Pineda transferring for Nxled. The swap also included coach Mosuela, with Takayuki Minowa succeeding him in the head coaching role.[9] It also recruited undrafted players Catherine Almazan and Ysabela Bakabak from EAC and De La Salle, respectively.[10] They then brought in Oluoma Okaro to serve as the team's import for the conference.[11] In the midst of all these moves, Roselle Baliton and Dindin Santiago-Manabat both departed the team.[12][13]
The team's reshuffling paid off in the preliminary round, finishing with an 8–0 sweep with 21 points.[14] In the quarterfinals, the Chargers beat Farm Fresh to advance to the semifinals for the first time in team history.[15] They then faced the PLDT High Speed Hitters in the semifinals, who they beat 3–2 to clinch their first-ever championship berth, but not without controversy.[16] In the championship, the team was challenged by Creamline, where the team suffered a sweep.[17]
The Chargers qualified for the Invitational Conference as a result of the team reaching the semifinals, but decided to opt out due to injury concerns.[18]
Roster
| Akari Chargers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Player | Position | Height | Birth date | Alma mater |
| 1 | Danielle Theris Ravena | Libero | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | December 6, 1999 | ADMU |
| 2 | Mereophe Aevangeline Sharma (NT) | Middle Blocker | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | April 27, 2001 | DLSU |
| 3 | Alexandra Maxine Juangco | Libero | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) | July 14, 2001 | FEU |
| 4 | Oluoma Okaro (I) | Opposite Hitter | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | April 2, 1996 | ASU |
| 5 | Grethcel Soltones | Outside hitter | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | September 9, 1995 | SSC-R |
| 6 | Michelle Cobb (C) | Setter | 1.61 m (5 ft 3 in) | February 16, 1999 | DLSU |
| 7 | Camille Victoria | Middle Blocker | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | December 26, 1999 | UST |
| 9 | Janine Nicole Marciano | Outside hitter | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | January 9, 1992 | San Beda |
| 10 | Princes Ezra Madrigal | Middle blocker | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | December 8, 1999 | FEU |
| 11 | Erika Beatriz Raagas | Opposite hitter | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | March 30, 2000 | ADMU |
| 12 | Ma. Ysabela Bakabak | Middle Blocker | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | DLSU | |
| 13 | Celine Elaiza Domingo | Middle Blocker | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | April 20, 1999 (age 25) | FEU |
| 14 | Cathrine Almazan | Outside Hitter | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) | EAC | |
| 15 | Stephanie Bustrillo | Opposite Hitter | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | January 7, 2001 | UP |
| 16 | Ivy Keith Lacsina | Opposite Hitter | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | October 21, 1999 | NU |
| 17 | Faith Janine Shirley Nisperos (NT) | Outside hitter | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | January 2, 2000 | ADMU |
| 18 | Kamille Cal | Setter | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | April 25, 2001 | NU |
| 24 | Christine Joy Soyud | Opposite hitter | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | December 27, 1995 | AdU |
|
Coaching staff
|
Team staff
|
Medical staff
|
All-Filipino Conference
Preliminary round
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | PLDT High Speed Hitters | 11 | 8 | 3 | 23 | 25 | 12 | 2.083 | 859 | 726 | 1.183 |
| 6 | Cignal HD Spikers | 11 | 7 | 4 | 22 | 23 | 14 | 1.643 | 869 | 747 | 1.163 |
| 7 | Akari Chargers | 11 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 0.944 | 767 | 750 | 1.023 |
| 8 | Nxled Chameleons | 11 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 23 | 0.609 | 794 | 824 | 0.964 |
| 9 | Farm Fresh Foxies | 11 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 24 | 0.583 | 785 | 863 | 0.910 |
Match log
| 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference preliminary round match log Total: 5–6 (15 points) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
February: 0–2 (0 points)
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March: 2–2 (6 points)
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April: 3–2 (9 points)
|
Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School |
| 1 | 6 | Stephanie Bustrillo | OP | UP |
The Akari Chargers selected Stephanie Bustrillo with the 6th pick before passing during the second round.[19]
Reinforced Conference
Preliminary round
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akari Chargers | 8 | 8 | 0 | 21 | 24 | 9 | 2.667 | 686 | 618 | 1.110 | Quarterfinals |
| 2 | Cignal HD Spikers | 8 | 7 | 1 | 20 | 22 | 8 | 2.750 | 648 | 562 | 1.153 | |
| 3 | Creamline Cool Smashers | 8 | 6 | 2 | 20 | 22 | 9 | 2.444 | 744 | 653 | 1.139 | |
| 4 | PLDT High Speed Hitters | 8 | 6 | 2 | 19 | 22 | 9 | 2.444 | 713 | 622 | 1.146 | |
| 5 | Chery Tiggo Crossovers | 8 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 12 | 1.500 | 649 | 635 | 1.022 |
Match log
| 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference preliminary round match log Total: 8–0 (21 points) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
July: 3–0 (7 points)
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August: 5–0 (14 points)
|
Final round
Bracket
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Championship | ||||||||
| August 24 | ||||||||||
1 Akari | 3 | |||||||||
| August 31 | ||||||||||
8 Farm Fresh | 1 | |||||||||
| Akari | 3 | |||||||||
| August 27 | ||||||||||
| PLDT | 2 | |||||||||
4 PLDT | 3 | |||||||||
| September 4 | ||||||||||
5 Chery Tiggo | 2 | |||||||||
| Akari | 0 | |||||||||
| August 24 | ||||||||||
| Creamline | 3 | |||||||||
2 Cignal | 3 | |||||||||
| August 31 | ||||||||||
7 Capital1 | 2 | |||||||||
| Cignal | 2 | |||||||||
| August 27 | ||||||||||
| Creamline | 3 | 3rd place match | ||||||||
3 Creamline | 3 | |||||||||
| September 4 | ||||||||||
6 Petro Gazz | 0 | |||||||||
| PLDT | 1 | |||||||||
| Cignal | 3 | |||||||||
Match log
| 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference final round match log Total: 2–1 (5 points) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterfinals: 1–0 (3 points)
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Semifinals: 1–0 (2 points)
| ||||||||||||
Championship match: 0–1 (0 points)
|
Transactions
Additions
| Player | Date signed | Previous team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grethcel Soltones | January 3, 2024 | Petro Gazz Angels | [3] |
| Celine Domingo | January 6, 2024 | Creamline Cool Smashers | [4] |
| Max Juangco | February 5, 2024 | FEU Lady Tamaraws (UAAP) | [5] |
| Kamille Cal | May 20, 2024 | Nxled Chameleons | [9] |
| Ivy Lacsina | May 20, 2024 | Nxled Chameleons | [9] |
| Dani Ravena | May 20, 2024 | Nxled Chameleons | [9] |
| Camille Victoria | May 20, 2024 | Nxled Chameleons | [9] |
| Cathrine Almazan | July 17, 2024 | EAC Lady Generals (NCAA) | [10] |
| Ysabela Bakabak | July 17, 2024 | De La Salle Lady Spikers (UAAP) | [10] |
Subtractions
| Player | New team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Roselle Baliton | Galeries Tower Highrisers | [12] |
| Trisha Genesis | Nxled Chameleons | [9] |
| Jaja Maraguinot | Nxled Chameleons | [9] |
| Bang Pineda | Nxled Chameleons | [9] |
| Dindin Santiago-Manabat | Choco Mucho Flying Titans | [13] |
References
- ^ "Jorge Souza de Brito resigns as Akari coach". December 14, 2023. Archived from the original on September 5, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ^ Garcia, John Mark (January 23, 2024). "Akari names Raffy Mosuela as interim coach after De Brito exit". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
- ^ a b Villanueva, Ralph Edward (January 3, 2024). "Soltones plugs in with Chargers in PVL". Philstar.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Dannug, Jonash (January 6, 2024). "Ced Domingo commits to Akari". Tiebreaker Times. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
- ^ a b Garcia, John Mark (February 5, 2024). "FEU ace Max Juangco steps in for Jazareno as new Akari libero". Spin.ph. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ Bautista, Ohmer (February 29, 2024). "PVL: Tots Carlos fires career-high 31 points, powers Creamline past Akari". onesports.ph. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
- ^ Bautista, Ohmer (March 6, 2024). "PVL: Despite rough start, Grethcel Soltones sees promising future for Akari". onesports.ph. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
- ^ Manalang, Gerard (May 1, 2024). "Akari aching for stardom". Daily Tribune. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Garcia, John Mark (May 20, 2024). "PVL allows swap of players, coaches between sister teams Akari, Nxled". Spin.ph. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Akari signs undrafted rookies Bakakak, Almazan". Fastbreak. July 17, 2024. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ Demigillo, Kiko (July 3, 2024). "PVL: American Oluoma Okaro to bolster Akari's charge in Reinforced Conference". onesports.ph. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
- ^ a b "Galeries Tower signs middle blockers Roselle Baliton, Shannen Palec". Fastbreak. June 13, 2024. Archived from the original on June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Agcaoili, Lance (June 20, 2024). "PVL: Choco Mucho acquires Dindin Santiago-Manabat from Akari". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ Isaga, JR (August 20, 2024). "No fluke: Akari completes stunning PVL elimination round sweep with 8-0 finish". RAPPLER. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
- ^ Caacbay, Kennedy (August 24, 2024). "PVL: Akari sends Farm Fresh packing for first Final 4 appearance". ABS-CBN. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
- ^ Agcaoili, Lance (August 31, 2024). "PVL explains no net fault in controversial Akari-PLDT endgame". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
- ^ Demigillo, Kiko (September 4, 2024). "'MVPons' finally real as Bernadeth Pons takes home PVL Reinforced Conference MVP and Finals MVP honors". One Sports. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ Isaga, JR (September 3, 2024). "Unrelated to controversy: Top-seeded PVL team Akari pulls out of Invitationals due to injuries". Rappler. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
- ^ Satumbaga-Villar, Kristel (July 8, 2024). "DLSU, Adamson players banner first-round selections in PVL Draft; Gagate officially selected No. 1 pick for ZUS Coffee". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on July 15, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2025.