SAN JUAN — It was sweeter the second time around.
After a stretch of gloom, Akari finally broke through, scoring its second win in the 2022 PVL Reinforced Conference with a mammoth-sized upset of Choco Mucho before a wild crowd Thursday night at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
Losers of three straight, the Chargers were laser-focused from the get-go this time, putting together an excellent gameplan to neutralize the Flying Titans’ vaunted attacking duo of Odina Aliyeva and Kat Tolentino.
The result was an impressive 23-25, 25-21, 25-19, 21-25, 15-12 victory that kept their flickering semifinal hopes alive.
Front and center in the win is import Prisilla Rivera, who re-wrote history by pummelling Choco Mucho’s porous defense with 44 points — the most in Premier Volleyball League history.
Rivera roared and pounded her way to 39 kills, four aces and a block, channeling her frustration with the questionable decisions made via the challenge system to carry the Chargers on her back.
But the Dominican Republic native wasn’t alone in shooting the Titans down.
After a couple of silent outings, Janine Marciano sprung back to life and provided 15 kills and three blocks while Erika Raagas contributed 12 markers.
Even middle blockers Krich Macaslang and Gen Casugod were sources of life for the ladies in magenta, with Macaslang delivering a solid all-around line of four kills, three blocks and two aces, and Casugod posting six points, including two single blocks on Aliyeva.
All these were possible because of the solid floor defense anchored by Rivera and libero Rachel Jorvina, who had a double-double of 13 digs and 17 excellent receptions, allowing the setting wizard Jaja Maraguinot to weave her magic throughout the match.
Maraguinot finished with 20 excellent sets, but it definitely looked like more as she repeatedly puzzled Choco Mucho’s blockers in the battle that lasted almost three hours.
Aliyeva top scored for the Titans with 26 points, but her impact paled in comparison to Rivera’s, and she had little local support as nobody else breached double figures for Choco Mucho.
