Japanese head coach Taka Minowa wants more maturity from the young Akari Chargers as they look to continue their winning ways to the playoffs of the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
Akari head coach Taka Minowa remains focused on long-term development despite his team securing a clean sweep of Capital1, 25-9, 25-17, 26-24, in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference Saturday.
The Chargers finally clinched their first three-set win of the season, a breakthrough that Minowa acknowledged as crucial but not something to be overly celebrated.
"I think that’s the problem—every time we win 3-1, we treat it like it’s a 3-0. Today, our tactics worked well against Capital1, but against stronger teams, they will adjust, so we need to learn how to adjust during the game as well," Minowa explained during the post-game press conference.
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For the Japanese tactician, each match presents a learning opportunity, and he credited Capital1’s resilience despite the lopsided first set. He highlighted how the Solar Spikers’ unwavering fight—even after a 9-25 first-set loss—served as a valuable lesson for Akari.
"It’s going to be a long conference, and we’re still in the elimination round. At least we have a chance to challenge different systems, and I want to challenge during the game, not just in practice," said Minowa.
Win or lose, it doesn’t matter. What I’m explaining is we need to learn from Capital1, what they are showing [with their] fighting spirit because sometimes also, we are missing like even if we are not a championship team,” Minowa continued.
“It’s just last conference we made to the championship. The acting looks like a champion team. We just need to be more humble and to be focused on our improvement."
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As the conference nears the playoff phase, Minowa remains steadfast in his the young Chargers’ mission—not just to win, but to grow with each match.
Akari now shifts its focus to a crucial matchup against the Choco Mucho Flying Titans next Saturday, February 4.
"I think Choco Mucho and Akari are more of blocking teams, so the game will be simpler. It will come down to passing and side-out efficiency. We need to make good serves and execute our side-outs well," Minowa said.