Bea Bonafe breaks out as Akari books PVL quarterfinal spot

Bea Bonafe stepped into the spotlight and delivered.

Making her first start as Akari’s setter, Bonafe repaid the trust of head coach Tina Salak by steering the Chargers to a 32-30, 25-22, 25-19 sweep of Petro Gazz and into the quarterfinals of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) On Tour on Tuesday, August 5, at the Philsports Arena.

“Coach Tina said to grab it, so I did,” said Bonafe, who finished 14 excellent sets in the win. “It’s just more of, now it’s just self-confidence, like building that up and really helping the team and giving back to the team.”

With starting setter Kamille Cal sidelined by injury, Bonafe took command of the offense, orchestrating plays for Ivy Lacsina, Eli Soyud, and Grethcel Soltones while showing poise beyond her years.

“It was a very big leap,” Bonafe said of transitioning from middle blocker to setter—an idea first planted by Salak when Bonafe graduated from La Salle-Zobel. “After I graduated, coach Tina said to try being a setter. So, ever since, that’s like five years past, I went to Creamline, coach T kept telling me that I can do it.”

Now 23, Bonafe is finally coming into her own after a quiet stint with Creamline, where opportunities were scarce. But with Akari, and under Salak’s guidance, she found her identity.

“I used to say she was stuck in someone else’s shadow,” said Salak, a former national team setter. “When she came to Akari, I told her: be yourself. Don’t try to be someone else. Change everything—your mindset, your movements, your techniques. That’s how we’ll discover who Bea really is as a player.”

Bonafe credited her breakthrough to Akari’s coaching staff and her setting mentor, Vince Mangulabnan. 

“Mentally, the coaches have been telling me that I can do it, and that really helps,” she said. “Training is tough, but they push us because they care.”

Behind Bonafe’s steady hands, Lacsina led the way with 16 points, including three blocks, while Soyud added 15. Soltones chipped in 13, and middle blockers Ezra Madrigal and Ced Domingo combined for 16. Chenie Tagaod provided the late spark, scoring four straight points—three of them service aces—to bring Akari to match point before Soltones sealed it.

Petro Gazz, playing without key players Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips, and with Jonah Sabete limited, struggled to keep up. The defending All-Filipino champions also faced instability after parting ways with head coach Koji Tsuzurabara mid-tournament.