Boasting a young and athletic roster, Alpha Insurance is set to make a strong statement in its debut at the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference.
Head coach Mike Santos, who previously led PGJC-Navy in last season’s Invitational Conference, now faces the challenge of molding a talented mix of UAAP and NCAA standouts into a cohesive unit as they enter the country’s premier men’s volleyball league.
Leading the charge for Alpha Insurance is team captain Edward Camposano, the most seasoned spiker on the squad’s youthful roster. His leadership and experience will be crucial in steering the team through its debut campaign.
Supporting Camposano are standout collegiate players BJ Anima (La Salle), Francis Casas (Adamson), JJ Javelona (FEU), and Jerome Lopez (San Beda), who was named Best Setter in the 2023 Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Challenge Cup.
“Actually, para sa first conference namin, napakaswerte namin kasi ‘yung mga nakukuha naming players, mga bata. ‘Yung iba diyan talagang kaka-graduate lang ng UAAP, NCAA, then buti na lang na-acquire namin sila,” said Santos during the league’s media day last Monday.
“So ang sinasabi ko naman lagi sa kanila, ipakita nila ‘yung best nila para magtuloy-tuloy ‘yung program ng Alpha Insurance,” he added.
While Santos believes the team has the talent to compete at a high level, he emphasized the importance of building chemistry as they prepare for a tough opening match against defending champion Cignal on Friday.
“‘Yun talaga ang challenging sa’min ngayon. Skills-wise, talagang matibay kami individually. Kaka-graduate lang ng mga ‘yan, very fresh pa from UAAP, NCAA. Ang challenge talaga is galing sila sa iba’t ibang school,” he shared.
“May galing FEU, Adamson, UP, may galing UE, so talagang challenge ‘yun para sa amin. Pero ginagawa namin ‘yung best na magagawa namin. At the same time, kaya in-appoint din namin si Edward (Camposano) as team captain kasi siya ang pinaka veteran, para mai-guide niya ‘yung mga bata.”
Despite their inexperience as a unit, Santos has set his sights on a Final Four finish. He believes that with the right preparation, teamwork, and steady improvement throughout the tournament, Alpha Insurance can compete against more seasoned contenders.
“Hindi lang naman kami ang nage-expect, pati ‘yung management ng company. So sabi ko nga, since mga bata ito, bagong team, hopefully umabot ng Final Four. ‘Yun naman ang target namin. Final Four muna, and then kapag nakapasok na, saka namin tatrabahuhin ‘yung sa mga susunod.”
