Tiamzon, in comfort of ‘home,’ anchors Akari vs Choco Mucho  

Tin Tiamzon will have homecourt crowd behind her and Chargers. —PVL IMAGES

An inspired Tin Tiamzon leads a bounce-back-seeking Akari side in her home province of South Cotabato when she and the Chargers face the Choco Mucho Flying Titans in the PVL on Tour on Saturday in Polomolok.

A native of Koronadal, which is just a short drive from the venue, Tiamzon relishes the opportunity to play in her province of birth, where she and her older sister started playing volleyball.

“Even when we landed at the airport, it already felt like home,” said Tiamzon in Filipino. “My hometown is just nearby, so I’m really excited that my family—my brother, aunts, and nieces and nephews—will finally get to watch me play live and cheer for us from the stands.”

The former La Salle Lady Spiker, who is a three-time UAAP champion, is honored to take part in the On Tour, which brings the games closer to fans from different provinces and inspires aspiring athletes.

“I think it’s a huge part of the growth of volleyball in the Philippines. By bringing games to smaller towns and cities, the younger generation gets to see professional players up close and realize that they can aspire to become professional athletes too,” said Tiamzon. “It’s great that the PVL is investing in bringing the league to different communities because it helps inspire the future generation.”

Tiamzon found a new home at Akari after Cignal filed a leave of absence in May. In last year’s PVL on Tour, she came out of retirement to join Cignal.

“I’m still adjusting because it’s a completely different system. I spent a year with Cignal, so I have to relearn new plays and a different style of play.

“I’m also getting to know my new teammates better and figuring out how we can build chemistry on the court,” the 29-year-old spiker said.

Akari, which lost to ZUS Coffee last July 8 in Isabela, guns for its first preseason win against Choco Mucho at 6:30 p.m.

Akari’s sister team Nxled eyes a second straight win against Galeries Tower at 4 p.m.