Akari Chargers’ Oly Okaro in the PVL Reinforced Conference.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Oly Okaro’s first PVL stint where she led the Akari Chargers to their maiden Reinforced Conference final appearance was still an experience to remember amid the “hostile” atmosphere on Wednesday at Philsports Arena.
Okaro was the lone double-digit scorer with 14 points for erstwhile-unbeaten Akari, which was overpowered by the more experienced Creamline, 25-15, 25-23, 25-17, in the title game.
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READ: PVL: Jeered and booed Akari couldn’t handle crowd, admits Minowa
Oly Okaro on her first PVL stint.
She and her husband will enjoy the Philippines and travel for few more weeks. #PVL2024 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/AsRYkHW33v
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) September 5, 2024
The American import would have wanted to cap off an 11-game sweep with a championship but she’s still grateful for her experience with the Chargers, who have been very close to her, especially Grethcel Soltones.
“The team’s ranking is definitely more than what I expected. I came in hoping to bring this club up from where they finished last conference, but I definitely didn’t know they were going to come up this high. I would have really loved to finish first, but I’m really impressed and really proud,” said Okaro.
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“I’m so competitive and I just want to win all the time, but I know it’s not possible to always win. I know so far this conference, we were undefeated, so we haven’t suffered that loss yet, and of course, this one was a very important one, but we already knew that Creamline was also going to come in because they also really wanted to defend that title,” she added.
Okaro was unbothered by the jeers from the crowd and the social media bashing following their controversial five-set win over PLDT in the semifinal. But she tried her best to motivate her teammates and block out the noise.
“It was hostile, but I didn’t really care, I just saw it as energy, regardless, if it was negative or positive, it didn’t matter, it was still energy. So overall, I definitely still enjoyed my experience, I enjoyed everything about the girls in Akari,” said Okaro.
READ: Creamline on cloud 9 after beating Akari for PVL Reinforced crown
“It’s hard, I can’t speak for everyone, but I would say for the most part, I thought we did a good job blocking it out. I don’t think it had anything to do with the noise on how we performed, I think it had to do with just other little things that needed fine-tuning, but in terms of the noise itself, I wouldn’t say it was necessarily a huge, it was probably a little distraction.”
The atmosphere may not be good for her team but Okaro would love to return to Manila in the next Reinforced Conference as she enjoyed her overall PVL experience.
“I just really enjoy that there’s a huge community of volleyball here, and people really love to come out and support, and I really love just the dedication that they’re putting in every single day,” she said. “I would definitely say I had a really good experience playing here, and I’m looking forward to coming back.”
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In fact, Okaro and her husband, Igor will stay for a few more weeks to visit the travel destinations in the Philippines before heading home to the United States for another pro stint.
“We’re going to travel, we’re going to probably go see Siargao, maybe Palawan, maybe Boracay, perhaps, and then probably be here for about two more weeks,” she said. “I don’t have anything set in stone until December. That’s my next volleyball contract in the US in San Diego.”