Akari Chargers’ Eli Soyud during a PVL All-Filipino Conference game. -PVL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Eager to plug in the hole left by Oly Okaro, Eli Soyud has emerged as one of Akari’s stabilizers in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference.

Soyud has risen to the challenge of stepping up for the Chargers, who were led by their American import Okaro in their breakthrough Reinforced Conference finals appearance. 

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The veteran opposite spiker led Akari to a 2-0 start in the six-month All-Filipino capped by a 25-14, 25-21, 19-25, 25-23 win over ZUS Coffee on Thursday night at FilOil EcoOil Centre, where she dropped 15 points, hitting 14 of her 31 attack attempts.

SCHEDULE: PVL All-Filipino Conference 2024-2025

Soyud said she is just making the most of the opportunity given by coach Taka Minowa.

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“That was also the challenge for us opposites under Coach Taka because the role we’re filling is huge, especially considering the impact Oly had on the team,” said Soyud, who scored 21 points in their four-set win over Galeries Tower in the season opener last Saturday.

Okaro’s role comes with significant pressure and responsibility, but the former Adamson standout is taking it in stride.

“For me, I’m just doing my job and following the game plan that Coach always emphasizes during team meetings. I also make the most of my time on the court and contribute whatever I can to help the team win,” said Soyud.

Minowa was pleased with how Soyud rose to the challenge, proving her worth after being a seldom-used player in the Reinforced Conference, where Akari won all its elimination round games until the semifinals before losing to Creamline in the winner-take-all final.

Soyud promises toven do better in their upcoming games, especially since they are facing the Creamline Cool Smashers next week in Candon, Ilocos Sur.

“We’ll train extra hard to prepare for them. We’ll stick to the game plan provided by Coach Taka and the coaching staff for how we’ll approach the game. We also need to prepare mentally,” said Soyud.