Sharma, Chargers stay patient as team recently finds PVL groove
MANILA, Philippines – Akari’s Fifi Sharma isn’t rushing herself and her teammates as they adjust to the new system under Coach Raffy Mosuela in the tail-end of eliminations in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
Still in the running for a semis spot with their 4-5 record, Sharma and the rest of her teammates are tempering their expectations. Not that they sell themselves short, rather, they understand the context of their current situation.
“Undoubtedly yung pagdedevelop ng chemistry, yung pag ge-gel ng team talaga, it takes time,” Sharma said after their three-set victory over the Capital1 Solar Spikers on Thursday.
“Ang maganda lang siguro sa team namin is everyone is staying patient so kahit na talo kami, or kahit na maraming challenges na pumupunta sa way namin, talagang tinatrabaho parin namin and nagti-tiyaga kami,” she added.
Apart from adjusting to a new system under Mosuela, the Chargers also been dealing with injuries — to key players like Trisha Genesis and Celine Domingo. Those factors, combined with the ups and downs of a long conference, are what Sharma looks to in avoiding feeling negative when losses come.
“Everyone keeps showing up and they keep working hard and yun like, hopefully, these remaining games, ma-showcase na namin yung pinaghihirapan namin these past few months,” she said.
When it comes to her personal game, Sharma hopes to come out more with good blocking games. As the league leader in blocks with two games remaining before the postseason, she targets significant impact on net defense.
“The main thing I prepare for sa mga games namin is kung paano ko mababantayan, or paano ako makakatulong sa blocking department ng team ko kasi as a middle blocker, that should be your top priority,” she said.
A big challenge stands in the way of Sharma and the Chargers next, though, as semis frontrunner Chery Tiggo Crossovers are their next foes.Akari plays their penultimate eliminations match on Saturday, April 20, at the Santa Rosa Sports Complex.
Whether or not Akari is still in the running for the semis slot by then depends on the Creamline Cool Smashers, which the Chargers will hope lose all their remaining games. Creamline plays next on Saturday, April 13, against the NXLED Chameleons.
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