Tagaod drills game-winner, makes family, region proud

Inspired by her family that made the trip to South Cotabato from Tagum City, Chenie Tagaod left everything on the floor and helped deliver Akari’s first PVL on Tour win on Saturday night at Polomolok Gymnasium.

Tagaod soared for the game-winning kill before dropping to the floor with cramps, as Akari staved off an undermanned but resilient Choco Mucho squad, 27-25, 27-25, 21-25, 25-22.

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The sophomore spiker, drafted by Akari last year, offered her 19-point outing to her father and sibling.

“I’m really inspired because I got to see my dad and my sibling in the crowd today,” the standout out of Far Eastern U said in Filipino. “I hope I made them proud.”

Embracing a bigger role this time, Tagaod poured in 11 attacks, six blocks and two aces in wanting to make the people from Mindanao proud.

“I’m very happy that I was able to show the Bisaya community the talent we have,” Tagaod went on. “To everyone dreaming of playing in the PVL, just keep making sacrifices and working hard. Your efforts will pay off.”

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Akari bounced back from a tough outing against ZUS Coffee in Ilagan, Isabela last July 8, and will head to Lanao Del Norte on August 15 against PLDT now full of confidence.

“We really worked hard in training, so we expected to perform well. As you saw, a lot of us were dealing with cramps, but we kept fighting until the end,” Tagaod said.

Akari coach Tina Salak praised Tagaod and other Akari veterans Ivy Lacsina, Grethcel Soltones, and Faith Nisperos for stepping up to the challenge, as they made up for the absence of Alas Pilipinas players Justine Jazareno, playmaker Mars Alba, and middle blocker Fifi Sharma, who are all playing in the SEA V Cup.

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“That’s exactly what we wanted—to give the team valuable exposure, build chemistry, and continue growing together,” Salak said, also in Filipino. “The PVL On Tour has been a great opportunity for us to get to know each other better on the court.

“I also have to give credit to our veterans for leading the team so well,” she also said. “Our stay here was definitely worth it. We gained so much experience and learned a lot about ourselves as a team and as individuals.” INQ