MIDDLE blocker Ced Domingo took center stage in Set 5, anchoring Akari’s stunning 25-11, 22-25, 29-27, 17-25, 15-7 win over Chery Tiggo in the PVL Reinforced Conference Tuesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

In what was expected to be a tightly contested decider, Domingo’s poise and precision under pressure turned the momentum decisively in the Chargers’ favor. She scored three crucial points during a fiery stretch that saw Akari surge to a commanding 9-4 cushion, a lead the Chargers never relinquished en route to their second straight five-set victory and an early lead in Pool B.

The fifth set echoed Akari’s gritty win over the defending champions Creamline Cool Smashers last weekend, where they also bounced back from a shaky fourth set to steal the match in the decider. But this time, it was Domingo’s dominance that defined the closing moments of the two-hour, 16-minute back-and-forth encounter.

After Akari wrestled the lead at 4-3 following a misfired 1-2 push from Jasmine Nabor, Domingo rose to the occasion. She capitalized on an out-of-system play with a smart push, then followed up with a textbook quick hit and a towering block on Cess Robles. That sequence, combined with an Eli Soyud kill and an ace, stunned the Crossovers and left them reeling.

From there, the Chargers were in full control, neutralizing every Chery Tiggo attempt with quick sideouts and impenetrable defense, visibly frustrating the Crossovers. The match ended on a Robles attack error – challenged unsuccessfully for a block touch – that symbolized Chery Tiggo’s unraveling.

Domingo’s leadership and composure in the pressure-packed fifth set served as the foundation of Akari’s late push, reaffirming her status as one of the team’s steadiest clutch performers.

But just as critical to Akari’s success was Justine Jazareno, who once again proved to be the team’s defensive anchor. After tallying 15 excellent digs against Creamline, the Alas Pilipinas standout stepped up even bigger with 27 digs, including two game-altering saves early in Set 5 that led to a Grethcel Soltones kill and tied the score at 2.

“Sabi ko lang sa teammates ko na we have to work together,” said Jazareno, whose stability at the backline steadied the Chargers through momentum swings. “May mga times kasi na hirap kami mag-connect.”

She also credited head coach Tina Salak’s system, saying, “We followed coach Tina’s system all throughout,” and highlighted her personal effort to remain calm under pressure: “Para at least, hindi mara-rattle ang mga teammates ko.”

Chery Tiggo, which lost in four sets to ZUS Coffee last weekend, dropped to 0-2 despite a fourth-set resurgence. Their errors in crunch time, compounded by Akari’s steady execution, sealed their fate.

With Domingo stepping up in the clutch and Jazareno owning the floor, Akari continues to show it has both the grit and grind to contend deep in this tournament organized by Sports Vision and backed by ICTSI, Milcu, Mikasa and Fabriano.

Import Annie Mitchem slowed down after a 33-point explosion against Creamline, finishing with a still-impressive 17 points. But it was setter Mars Alba who orchestrated the offense masterfully for Akari, delivering 21 excellent sets to keep everyone involved and power a well-balanced scoring effort.

Soyud matched Mitchem with 17 markers, while Domingo delivered a strong performance with 16 points, including five blocks. Fifi Sharma added 10 points to reinforce the Chargers’ dominance in the middle, and Grethcel Soltones contributed eight markers – several of them coming in clutch during the fifth set.

After surviving yet another nail-biting five-setter, Salak couldn’t help but inject some humor into the tense post-match atmosphere.

“Actually, that’s really what we’ve been training for – always going the distance in five sets,” said Salak in Filipino. “Just kidding, but honestly, our past experiences against Creamline and Chery Tiggo in those long matches really brought out the team’s character and growth. You saw how composed we were.”

She then stressed that beyond the wins, these drawn-out battles have been instrumental in shaping the team’s identity.

“Many of our players are really maturing. They’re stepping up, taking on bigger roles and responsibilities. So it’s a good thing – aside from pulling off victories in five-setters, there’s also individual growth happening within the team,” she added.

Akari now sets its sights on a third consecutive win as it faces two-time champion Petro Gazz on October 23 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

Meanwhile, Chery Tiggo, which missed middle blocker Imee Hernandez, who is rehabbing her left knee, will try to snap its early skid when it battles Petro Gazz this Saturday at the Capital Arena in Ilagan City.

Robles, on the other hand, led Chery Tiggo with 20 points, while Yani Batista was limited to 17 after erupting for 22 in their previous outing against the Thunderbelles.

Ara Galang chipped in nine, Mylene Paat added eight, and the trio of Pauline Gaston, Abi Maraño, and Nabor, who tallied 22 excellent sets, combined for 12 points.

The EV Crossovers struggled in key areas, yielding the attacking battle 53-59 and faltering in service reception, which allowed Akari to fire 12 aces compared to their three.

Despite the loss, libero Karen Verdeflor delivered a strong performance for Chery Tiggo, tallying 18 excellent receptions and 17 excellent digs, though her efforts ultimately went unrewarded.