Eli Soyud in action for Akari against Choco Mucho in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference semifinals, March 29, 2025 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. PVL Media

MANILA -- Eli Soyud stole the spotlight when the semifinals of the Premier Volleyball League's All-Filipino Conference opened on Saturday in Antipolo.

Akari turned to Soyud's hot hands to pull off an amazing shocker over erstwhile streaking Choco Mucho and start its championship return bid on a high note. 

Soyud filled the stats sheet with impressive numbers, racking up a career-high 34 points, she collected from 27 attacks and equally impressive seven kill blocks in leading the Chargers to a come-from-behind, 20-25, 25-19, 25-23, 22-25, 16-14, win over the Flying Titans last Saturday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

READ: Soyud takes charge as Akari halts Choco Mucho streak for win No. 1 in semis

With a performance to remember to jumpstart Akari's round-robin semis campaign, Soyud got the nod as the PVL Press Corps Player of the Week presented by Pilipinas Live for the period of March 25 to 29.

Her 34-point performance ranked sixth among a local player's single-game scoring record list since the league's inception in 2017. 

Despite shouldering the bulk of the team's scoring output in ending Choco Mucho's nine-game winning streak, the Adamson University product deflected the credit to her teammates.

"'Yung teammates ko kasi, talagang nilaban nila. Lahat nagsasalita, nag-iinput ng info kung anong dapat gawin. Kaya para sa'kin, hindi pwedeng ma-waste lahat ng efforts ng bawat isa," Soyud said.

"Kung hindi kami lalaban, walang mangyayari sa'min. Kaya kami, binigay na namin lahat para wala nang magkaroon ng panghihinayang. Buti naman at natuto kami," she added.

The 29-year-old Negrense winger edged out teammate libero Justine Jazareno and Petro Gazz ace spiker Brooke Van Sickle and setter Chie Saet for the weekly citation of the competition streamed live and on-demand via the Pilipinas Live app and on www.pvl.ph. 

Once in the shadows of the top aces she used to play along with from her college days to the pros, Soyud's scintillating renaissance as a Charger has been a sight to behold. 

It has now been her life's mission in Akari to repay the trust of the team that took a chance on her from when she used to be underestimated and overlooked. 

"Ito na yung time ko. Nabibigyan na ako ng playing time. Gusto ko rin na hindi 'yun masayang," Soyud said.

"Nasa sa'kin na rin 'yun na binigyan na ko ng playing time so dapat i-grab ko 'tong opportunity na 'to para rin sa career ko na makapaglaro pa sa loob and mapatunayan na kaya ko pa talaga."

Soyud and the rest of Chargers can seal their entry to a second straight PVL Finals against five-peat seeking Creamline on April 1 at the Philsports Arena and Petro Gazz on April 3 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

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