By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Negrense hitter Christine Joy Soyud provided the spark as the Akari Power Chargers swept the Galeries Tower Highrisers, 25-11, 25-23, 25-23, in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference at the Playtime FilOil Center in San Juan City on Tuesday, October 28.

Soyud delivered a steady all-around performance with 12 points, highlighted by three aces, to help Akari bounce back from their first loss of the tournament for a 3-1 record.

Reinforcement Annie Mitchem also shone with 14 points on 10 attacks and four blocks, while Marionne “Mars” Alba masterfully orchestrated the offense with 19 excellent sets and chipped in four points to earn Player of the Game honors.

Akari dominated the opening frame behind Mitchem’s power and Alba’s sharp playmaking, but it was Soyud’s composure in the clutch that proved crucial as Galeries Tower fought back in the next two sets.

Jelena Cvijovic paced Galeries Tower with 10 points, while Jean Asis and France Ronquillo contributed nine each as the Highrisers remained winless at 0-5 to end the first round.

Meanwhile, the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles remained unstoppable as they swept the Petro Gazz Angels, 25-22, 25-21, 25-20.

Rookie Alexa Miner delivered a breakout performance, finishing with 11 points built on nine attacks, two blocks and an ace to earn Best Player of the Game honors and lead the Thunderbelles to their fourth straight win in Pool B.

“We prepared like we always do for every game, including studying the opponent,” Miner said.

“But it’s the in-game adjustments that matter most. Everyone worked hard from start to finish,” she added.

The six-foot middle blocker’s  presence at the net proved crucial in neutralizing Petro Gazz’s Lindsey Vander Weide and Brooke Van Sickle, while her steady composure helped ZUS Coffee maintain control in key stretches.

Behind Miner’s dominance, Anna DeBeer once again delivered her usual scoring punch for the Thunderbelles with 23 points, including the last two kills that sealed the sweep./ASC, WDJ