National team stalwarts Faith Nisperos and Fifi Sharma are excited to help the Akari Chargers build on their franchise-best run heading into the 2024-2025 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
Faith Nisperos and Fifi Sharma could only watch from the sidelines as the Akari Chargers went on a franchise-best run in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference last July to September.
Nisperos and Sharma were among the PVL stars who sat out the midseason conference due to Alas Pilipinas commitments. Seeing the Chargers play at a high level, the pair couldn’t be more excited to rejoin the team for the upcoming 2024-2025 All-Filipino Conference.
“Actually, noong nanonood kami ni Faith [during the Reinforced Conference], parang nakakainggit kasi gusto talaga namin maglaro,” Sharma said during the All-Filipino press conference on Monday. “Yes it’s pressure. Nakaka-pressure din siya, pero it’s a privilege to parang surpass that achievement that the team had last [Reinforced Conference].”
“So very excited kami ni Faith to weigh in on that achievement and hopefully to sustain or even surpass that this [All-Filipino] conference.”
Akari finished second in the Reinforced Conference led by the trio of import Oly Okaro, Ivy Lacsina, and Gretchel Soltones. Thanks to a controversial sister team transaction, the Chargers also received a new head coach in Taka Minowa from the NXLed Chameleons.
Joining Minowa from NXLed were Lacsina, setter Kamuy Cal, wing spiker Cams Victoria, and returning libero Dani Ravena. Given this, Sharma and Nisperos will rejoin a slightly different core for the upcoming All-Filipino Conference as they adjust to Minowa’s meticulous system.
“Our teammates were very open naman to us and us being open to them rin. The coaches rin, malaking tulong din on how we can adjust to them. So it was really helpful naman, ‘yung teammates ko and coaches as well,” said Nisperos.
“Not much has really changed and we’re still the same components. May nadagdag lang nang konti, may nabawas lang nang konti…Still, the adjustment was really easy and we were really welcomed back agad,” added Sharma.
Fifi Sharma and Faith Nisperos are also excited to apply their lessons from Alas Pilipinas, having played with the nationals since the AVC Challenge Cup in May. As you may recall, the country finished with a historic bronze medal on home soil during the regional meet.
They were also part of Alas’ back-to-back bronze medal finishes in the SEA V.League, where they faced regional powerhouses Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Also part of their national team commitments was a training camp in Osaka and scrimmages with club teams such as the Powerful Daegu last June in Korea.
“Experiencing the kind of bond we had sa Alas within that short amount of time, and also getting to play with and against the best players in Asia or in the world pa. Sobrang excited kami ni Faith to share our skills and lahat ‘yung natutunan namin sa previous Alas stint and sa mga teammates namin,” said Sharma, one of Alas’ starting middle blockers alongside Thea Gagate.
Nisperos believes their national team stint will help them face their teammates in the PVL.
“Nakasama din namin ‘yung mga possible competitors namin here in PVL, so we’ve learned a lot from them diba? We’ve seen how they work and ang dami namin na-pickup from that. So I guess puro application na lang sa PVL ng mga natutunan namin,” she said.
Back to zero
Meanwhile, longtime captain Michelle Cobb acknowledged the pressure of building off their silver-medal finish in the Reinforced Conference. On top of this, is the challenge of proving their worth even without a high-scoring import.
“Siyempre volleyball naman kasi unending pagpapatunay. Kahit na ano pa rin napatunayan, hindi siya nilang sa-stop doon. So gusto din namin siyempre mapatunayan na kahit kami-kami lang, without Oly, and with the same roster, with the same coaches, parang kaya pa rin namin makipaglaban and to still be on the top four,” Cobb said.
Cobb also shared that Sharma and Nisperos are seamlessly fitting into the Akari system while expressing her confidence in the pair’s capabilities.
“Mag-focus kami na since nawala si Oly, and dumagtag naman itong dalawa, feel namin na ‘yung obligation na binibigay sa amin ni Coach Taka is we really have to fill in her shoes. And so I think these two naman will be able to help us fill in the gap that Oly left for us…So, so far, okay naman siya, okay naman yung transition nilang dalawa,” shared the former Lady Spiker.
The Chargers will open their All-Filipino Conference this November 9 at the Philsports Arena against the Galeries Tower Highrisers and debuting rookie Julia Coronel.
Minowa emphasized that Akari will enter the conference with a “back to zero” mindset, and will focus on proving their capabilities as an all-local cast.
“Everything is back to zero and then we need to realize that we don’t have an import already. We need to play as a team and that’s our challenge for the next conference. Because without an import, we have not shown how we can play as a team yet.”
Banner image courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.