Grethcel Soltones leaves Petro Gazz, adds veteran firepower to young Akari squad
MANILA, Philippines – The Akari Chargers have signed former Petro Gazz star Grethcel Soltones, the team announced on Wednesday, January 3, in a bid to boost firepower and veteran leadership ahead of their second PVL season.
The latest in a high-profile flurry of off-season signings, Akari’s acquisition of the former V-League MVP and PVL Finals MVP is expected to move the needle for the Chargers and possibly propel the upstart franchise to the higher tier of league contenders.
Nicknamed the “Lady Beast” since her MVP-winning days with the NCAA’s San Sebastian College, Soltones was a major part of Petro Gazz’s title-contending stretch from 2021 to 2023, which netted one PVL championship, two silver medal finishes, and one bronze.
The 28-year-old now joins an increasingly formidable Chargers core, with the likes of Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Faith Nisperos, Erika Raagas, and Trisha Genesis leading the way.
Akari, still missing a head coach following the resignation of Philippine women’s volleyball team mentor Jorge Souza de Brito, is set to complete its off-season puzzle sometime before the 2024 First All-Filipino Conference starts in February. – Rappler.com