Newest PVL team Capital1 Power Spikers. –HANDOUT PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Capital1 Power Spikers may be the newest team in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) but the experience of returning coach Roger Gorayeb and his seasoned players are out to prove that they belong in the professional ranks this 2024 season starting in February.
Capital1 Solar Energy, owned by sisters Milka and Mandy Romero, was officially welcomed as the 12th team in the PVL by league president Ricky Palou and chairman Tonyboy Liao in a press conference on Thursday at Milky Way Cafe in Makati.
Gorayeb revealed that he had already chosen Heather Guino-o, Jannine Navarro, and Rovie Instrella as well as Aika Urdas and Jorelle Singh as the first members of the team. He will select the other players from his 23-woman pool from more than 100 aspirants, who attended the tryouts in the past two days at San Sebastian College.
The veteran coach, who last coached the PVL with PLDT in the 2021 bubble tournament in Ilocos Norte, said that he selected experienced players since he wants the new team to make its presence felt right in its first tournament in the league despite having a short preparation.
Capital1 players Jannine Navarro, Heather Guino-o, and Rovie Instrella on being coached by Roger Gorayeb.
Gorayeb also bared that Aiko Urdas and Jorelle Singh will be part of their team. #PVL2024 | @LanceAgcaoilINQ pic.twitter.com/drK057JMnx
— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) January 25, 2024
“I’m looking for players with experience because this team was last minute. So I included Aika and Jorelle because they’re the one with experience, Actually, we think we’re able to build a well-experienced starting six,” Gorayeb said.
The decorated NCAA champion coach of San Sebastian is focused on giving Capital1 a decent PVL debut despite being only founded a few days ago and will only have three weeks to prepare.
But he is confident with the experience of his players from their past stints in collegiate and club volleyball tournaments.
“I’m not thinking about next year yet. I don’t want to finish at the bottom even if this team is very new,” Gorayeb said. “We have yet to start practice with the tournament three weeks away, but I will lean on the experience.
“Even with Ateneo, I start with just five [experienced] players. If you will remember with Balipure, I just put together the team from Baste then one the first year we were able to reach the finals and win in the All-Filipino.”
“I’m bringing my experience into this team. You know that my reputation is that I’m strict when it comes to training.”
Capital1 coach Roger Gorayeb. –PVL PHOTO
The Power Spikers, including Navarro, are grateful to get an opportunity to play in the PVL again through the Romero-owned team and learn from Gorayeb, who last won a PVL championship with BaliPure in 2017.
“I know coach Roger well, we’ve been playing against him in the NCAA and he’s won a lot of titles even in the pro-league,” said Navarro, who played for Nxled last conference.
“Even though this team was built last minute, we’re able to catch up because we were able to maintain our bodies during the off-season so it’s not that hard for us to develop. There’s definitely and adjustment at first but I know we’re able to do it right away because we have experience”
Guino-o, a member of Petro Gazz last season, finally got her chance to be coached by Gorayeb, who tried to recruit her in high school but the outside spiker chose Far Eastern University as her college school.
I’m thankful I’ll be able to be coached by coach Roger. I’ve heard a lot of good feedback and I know him well,” said Guino-o. “I think I’ll be able to help my team and teach them what I’ve learned after playing for a lot of teams.”
Instrella from the disbanded F2 Logistics vows to leave everything on the floor for the Power Spikers to give back to the new team, which gave her a chance to continue playing professional volleyball.
“Of course, we’re all gonna do our best and one hundred percent sa training and sa games. We’re also in good hands with coach Roger. I’m a very hard-working person. For now, I’m gonna work twice or thrice para I’ll be able to contribute to my team since our preparation time is short,” Instrella said.
Capital1, which took the spot of the disbanded F2 Logistics, joined Strong Group Athletics (SGA) as the newest PVL clubs, facing defending champion Creamline, Choco Mucho, Cignal, Chery Tiggo, PLDT, Petro Gazz, Akari, Nxled, Farm Fresh, and Galeries Tower.