Grethcel Soltones returns to provide some much-needed leadership and veteran stability in the Akari Chargers’ postseason campaign.
After missing most of Akari’s preliminary round games due to a minor knee injury, veteran outside hitter Grethcel Soltones returned just in time for the Chargers’ 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference qualifying round matchup against the Farm Fresh Foxies.
Soltones provided a much-needed source of energy and stability for the Chargers, coming alive in Sets 4 and 5 to help her team overcome their 2-1 deficit against the young but fierce Farm Fresh in the 25-11, 23-25, 18-25, 25-21, 15-9 affair.
However, if the 29-year-old is being honest, she was expecting to return later into Akari’s postseason campaign, only to be the difference that helped the Chargers secure an outright quarterfinal berth.
“Happy ako, pero parang kasi kanina, hindi ako nage-expect na ipapasok pa ako since nung first set, ang ganda talaga ng ipapakita nila. Pero ‘yun nga, sabi naman ni Coach Taka [Minowa], mag-ready lang ako, so inoobserbahan ko lang sila tas ‘yung sa kalaban para pagpasok ko, alam ko na ‘yung gagawin ko and i-instruct ko sa mga kasama ko,” said the former San Sebastian standout, who finished with 11 points in Tuesday’s five-setter.
Grethcel Soltones last played for Akari against the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in December 2024, before sitting out the Chargers’ final stretch of preliminary matchups to recover from her knee condition.
The Chargers went 2-3 amid this stretch, and this rough patch is now serving as added motivation for Soltones as she eases herself back into the lineup.
“Sobra, sobra na [gusto ko makabawi], kasi ang hugot ko ngayon is hindi naman sa patunayan, pero ‘yung siguro gustong-gusto ko bumalik ng 100 percent to help my team. And siguro happy din ako kasi ‘yun nga [nakabalik], pero parang kanina feeling ko na para akong bata na nawawala,” she told The GAME in a follow-up chat.
“Kasi iba ‘yung pagbalik sa loob ng court and also ‘yung court awareness ko, inaayos ko pa kasi may mis-receive pa ako kanina!”
Soltones, though, believes that her absence has also allowed her team to tackle high-pressure situations without her veteran presence on the Taraflex.
“Parang sabi ko nga na hindi pwedeng sakin kayo aasa palagi ng leadership, kasi what if mawala ako which is nangyari na nga. So parang sabi ko nga sa kanila, as an ate nandito lang naman ako, pero wala akong magagawa pag nasa labas ako, kailangan niyo nang trabahuhin,” the one-time PVL champion reflected.
But now that she’s working her way back to peak form, the “Lady Beast” vowed to be the leader that Akari needs once more, especially during high-pressure situations in the endgame.
“Yun nga, ang mina-mindset ko talaga is pagdating sa crucial point, nakikita ko silang nara-rattle so andon ako para i-remind sila na ‘isa lang, kailangan maayos muna ‘yung gagalawin natin para ma-deliver natin ng maayos ‘yung mga points, lahat ng sistema o pwede gawin sa court’,” she said.
Up next for Grethcel Soltones and the Akari Chargers will be a meeting with the Galeries Tower Highrisers in the quarterfinals expected to start this March 15. And while she’ll be there to stabilize the team, Soltones stressed that this very endgame composure will be a major point for improvement ahead of the best-of-three series.
“Nakita ko naman sila nung nasa labas ako na okay naman ‘yung ginagalaw sa umpisa. ‘Yun lang ‘yung aayusin pa namin na pag sa crucial times, kahit sino ilagay diyan sa loob is magli-lead or mas magiging maayos and makapag-adjust kami kasi syempre naga-adjust din ‘yung kalaban,” said Soltones.
Images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.