Akari finally broke through against its biggest rival, stunning defending champion Creamline in a dramatic five-set thriller to earn a historic 23-25, 25-23, 30-28, 23-25, 15-12 win and kick off its 2025 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference campaign on a high note on Saturday, October 11, at the Dasmariñas Arena.

Denied of an official debut after its opening-day match was voided, the Chargers made the most of their rare second chance, seizing their first-ever win over the league’s winningest club in 10 meetings — a statement result against the same team that denied them in the previous Reinforced Conference title series.

American reinforcement Annie Mitchem, who missed the voided match due to ITC delays, wasted no time making her presence felt. She exploded for 33 points on top of 14 excellent receptions, powering Akari to a gritty, emotional breakthrough.

Mitchem delivers in clutch as Akari turns tables on Creamline

The Chargers looked ready to close the match in four after a crucial extended third-set win, but Creamline leaned on Tots Carlos, Jeanette Panaga, and Michele Gumabao to extend the contest. In the deciding fifth set, the Cool Smashers grabbed a 9-7 lead behind Courtney Schwan’s off-the-block hit, but Akari responded with composure and firepower.

Mitchem struck with a down-the-line and a back-row attack, Fifi Sharma followed with a thunderous quick, and a Gumabao error capped a 4-0 run that gave Akari an 11-9 advantage. Creamline tried to rally back, but late errors by Alyssa Valdez and Carlos handed the Chargers match point. After Eli Soyud’s miss briefly kept Creamline alive, Mitchem closed the door with an emphatic off-the-block kill to seal the three-hour, 16-minute thriller.

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“I’m really happy and proud of us because this team is really good. That’s what everyone said, and I’m very glad that we won this game. It was really difficult. We were down by a lot of points in some moments, but we came back,” said Mitchem.

Soyud backed her up with 14 points, while Sharma and Ced Domingo contributed 13 and 12 markers, respectively. Mars Alba orchestrated the offense with 21 excellent sets, and captain Justine Jazareno anchored the floor defense with 15 excellent digs.

Creamline suffers rare opening loss

The defeat marked Creamline’s first opening-day setback since the previous Reinforced Conference, when it fell to PLDT. Schwan tallied a team-high 26 points on 21 attacks and five blocks to go with 15 digs and nine receptions, while Valdez scored 18 points in Jema Galanza’s absence. Carlos, in her return from injury, added 12.

Akari will look to build on the momentum against Chery Tiggo on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, while Creamline aims to bounce back against Petro Gazz later that day.