BACOLOD City – Akari Power Chargers got back at Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles with a thrilling 25-27, 25-21, 23-25, 25-18, 15-12 victory on Sunday night at the University of St. La Salle Gym here.
Trisha Genesis and Janine Marciano were a force for the Power Chargers in the fifth set to bounce back from a 25-10, 25-17, 20-25, 22-25, 15-9, loss to Ateneo on Saturday night at the University of San Agustin Gym in Iloilo City.
“Masaya na nanalo, pero ang realidad madami pa kaming kailangan matutunan as a team,” Genesis said. “Basta araw-araw, we will work hard, makikinig kay coach at magtitiwala sa isa’t isa upang maabot namin ang goals namin.”
With the Blue Eagles threatening on another fifth set dominance, Genesis and Marciano carried the fight for the Power Chargers before Krich Macaslang punctuated the match with a powerful hit.
“We have a long way to go. But our team showed me that I can expect much more from them,” said Akari head coach Jose Edson Souza de Brito. “Our skills will grow as we play but we are brave and we never give up.”
The Blue Eagles surged to an early lead in the opening set but the Power Chargers kept the match close for a 25-all count but Faith Nisperos steered Ateneo to a 1-0 set edge with an attack.
Akari recovered in the second set behind the solid hits of Genesis and Marciano to even the set but Ateneo bounced back in a brownout disrupted third set with a close 25-23 victory and took a 2-1 set edge.
The Power Chargers, however, made sure that they won’t be swept in the two-game friendlies with the Blue Eagles as they jumped to an early fourth set lead behind Negrense Geneveve Casugod to send the match to a decider.
“This two game friendly series with Ateneo was really more on gaining experience, working through in-game situations that we have never encountered before,” said Akari team captain Michelle Cobb.
In the preliminary game, University of Negros Occidental-Recolectos recovered from a set down and bucked a homecourt disadvantage to pull off a five-set thriller over University of St. La Salle-Bacolod./PN
