Akari Chargers’ Ivy Lacsina.–PVL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Picking up from where she left off, Ivy Lacsina sustained her sensational play to lead the Akari Chargers to a strong start in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference.

After emerging as one of the vital pieces of Akari’s breakthrough finals appearance in the Reinforced Conference, the 25-year-old Lacsina kicked off her fourth season as a pro with a pair of solid performances that resulted in the Chargers’ early 2-0 lead in the six-month competition organized by Sport Vision.

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Lacsina helped Akari overcome Galeries Tower’s gallant fight, dropping 16 points to open their campaign with a 28-30, 25-15, 25-16, 25-23 victory in last week’s opener at the Philsports Arena.

READ: PVL: Akari turns back new-look ZUS Coffee for 2-0 start

The National University product unleashed 24 points, hitting 22 of her 43 attack attempts to go with a block and an ace, to beat the new-look ZUS Coffee, 25-14, 25-21, 19-25, 25-23, for an early lead last Thursday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.

Lacsina’s solid start was rewarded with the first PVL Press Corps Player of the Week award for the period November 9 to 16 of the biggest and longest conference yet.

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“‘Yung last conference po maganda pong experience po yun sa amin. At the same time po, yung tinabraho po namin kung papaano pa po kami magiging better kumpara sa last conference po para habang tuloy-tuloy po yung panalo po namin, natututo pa rin po kami,” said Lacsina.

The 6-foot-1 wing spiker is eager to continue what super import Oly Okaro started as the American led them to a 10-game unbeaten run in the Reinforced Conference only to lose the championship game to eventual Grand Slam champion Creamline.

Despite not having their reinforcement this time, Lacsina and the Chargers are looking to replicate their success.

“Dahil wala na nga pong Oly, so mas eager ang every local player sa team namin na mag-step up kasi wala na kaming ibang aasahan kundi hindi yung isa’t isa nalang,” she said.

“Every training, every game talaga, talagang tinatrabaho namin. Yung pasensya talaga mas hinabaan po namin ngayon conference.”

Lacsina bested Kat Tolentino of Choco Mucho, Jema Galanza of Creamline, Brooke Van Sickle of Petro Gazz, Savi Davison of PLDT, Ara Galang of Chery Tiggo, Ces Molina of Cignal, and even her teammate Eli Soyud for the weekly recognition deliberated upon by print and online scribes covering the league, which is also streamed live and on-demand via Pilipinas Live app and on www.pvl.ph.

READ: PVL: Akari rips Galeries Tower for winning start

Akari’s Japanese coach Taka Minowa has been grooming Lacsina into a lethal spiker in support of his player’s dream to play overseas and represent the country with the Alas Pilipinas.

With a bigger responsibility this season, the pride of San Fernando, Pampanga is ready to answer the call and deliver more wins for Akari.

“Lagi ko lang iniisip kung papano ako nag-start and kung ano ‘yung hirap na pinagdaanan ko sa sistema po ni coach Taka and sa training kaya parang tinatake ko po siya as motivation and challenge para every training talaga namin and game mas nakakahelp ako sa team namin,” said Lacsina.

“Hindi ko siya masyadong iniisip na pressure siya sakin. Kumbaga, ine-enjoy ko lang kasi yung tiwala ng coaches ayokong masira.”

Lacsina and the Chargers will be tested next Saturday as they take on the ‘five-peat’-seeking Creamline Cool Smashers at Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur at 6:30 p.m., after the Petro Gazz-Farm Fresh PVL on Tour game.