If there’s anyone who can preserve the peace in a newly formed group made up of stakeholders previously at rift with each other, it’s Charo Soriano.
The 35-year-old former Ateneo open and middle spiker has been named one of the directors of the newly established Philippine National Volleyball Federation, where she vows to help in the grassroots development.
“It’s a new dawn for us, a chance for us to show the world what we can do,” Soriano told the Inquirer. “Challenging as the years ahead may seem, I welcome our future with fuller hope, resolved determination, and unwavering passion.”
Known for her strong leadership qualities on and off the court, Soriano, founder of Beach Volleyball Republic, said growing beach volleyball will be on top of her priorities.
“We live in one of the most beautiful archipelagos in the world,” said Soriano. “And we are surrounded with exquisite beaches. So, it’s also our goal to be able to go to different coastal communities and strengthen the beach volleyball culture in their areas.”
As both player and official, Soriano has first-hand experience getting “caught in the crossfires” of Philippine volleyball’s discordant stakeholders.
Now that she’s part of the new governing body, Soriano vowed to work on improving relations and “setting aside differences.”
“I think that [difference] is still inevitable. No federation is perfect,” said Soriano, who was Rookie of the Year in University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 66.
“It’s no secret that there were/are a lot of clashes even from way back. And because of these clashes, the growth of the sport was hampered. We were all witnesses to that,” she said.
“In setting aside our differences, we can rise to be the leaders that our community truly deserves.”