Akari’s Oly Okaro says 'could do better' even after 38-point explosion

MANILA, Philippines – Akari Chargers import Oly Okaro had a performance to remember on Tuesday night as she towed her team to a five-set comeback win against the Choco Mucho Flying Titans as they went 2-0 to start the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference.

In a reverse-sweep victory, Okaro matched the season-high scoring output with a whopping 38 points built off 33 attacks, three aces and two blocks. It was also tied for the fifth highest scoring output ever in a PVL game. 

But after the match, Okaro had a statement to make.

“I would say it’s nice. Fifth in the league. [But] I probably could do better, so I’ll keep working to get better,” Okaro said with a cheeky smile.

Okaro said that she was absolutely zeroed in during the game, and even when the Flying Titans went up 2-0, it didn’t matter as she kept herself focused on taking the victory — no matter what the odds they’re facing.

“My mindset was I was still in destroy mode, because I was just thinking even if we lost the first two sets, it didn’t mean anything to me,” Okaro stated. 

“I just really wanted to win. I just wanted to do everything that we could to win.”

Even in the clutch, Okaro proved effective. Against a rowdy Choco Mucho crowd, the 28-year-old remained calm and continued to provide the offense they needed. She fired off five points in the winner-take-all fifth set.

“The crowds were a little bit louder, I would say. They were very active. I would say although they were loud, it’s not something that I haven’t heard before and I’m someone who stays very focused during the games,” Okaro said. 

“Even though there’s a lot of outside distractions that’s around me, I still just try to make sure to internalize and just to stay focused on the next task ahead and stay focused on what I have to do inside the court,” she added.

As the Chargers shoot for the next level — hopefully a deep run in this conference — Okaro will work to improve even more and hopefully lead the Chargers to as far as she can.

“I would say that this Akari team has a very strong and passionate fighting attitude. Even though we’re down, collectively, we come together. We know that we don’t want to lose this game, at least not go down without a fight,” she said.

“Our team is very strong in that sense, mentally. We know our team can get a little bit goofy, sometimes with a lot of dancing. Deep down, I would say the team is very cohesive and has the same goal in mind.”

Okaro and the rest of the Chargers resume their campaign on Saturday, July 27, against the Petro Gazz Angels.