VIGAN, ILOCOS SUR — Capital1 head coach Jorge Souza de Brito will not be on the sidelines when the Solar Spikers take on Cignal later today in the 2025 PVL On Tour.
De Brito officially marked his return to the Premier Volleyball League last Sunday, leading Capital1 in their tournament opener — a tough 10-25, 21-25, 10-25 loss to powerhouse Creamline at the Chavit Coliseum here.
Immediately after the match, the Brazilian mentor departed for Laoag International Airport to catch a flight back to Manila in time to oversee training for Alas Pilipinas the following morning.
Joining him on the trip back to the capital were members of the Alas Pilipinas pool: Capital1’s Leila Cruz and Akari standouts Fifi Sharma and Justine Jazareno.
The three were recently named to the national team roster bound for the 2025 VTV Cup in Vietnam and did not suit up for their respective clubs in the PVL On Tour.
(C) PVL Images
“Yes, they traveled with me. We had training this morning,” said De Brito, who also serves as head coach of Alas Pilipinas.
Reflecting on his Capital1 debut, the Olympic gold medalist acknowledged that the revamped Solar Spikers — who played without Cruz and No. 1 overall draft pick Bella Belen — are still a work in progress, particularly in terms of team chemistry and cohesion.
“We’re not ready yet, but I can assure you we’re much better than we were last night. Our team knows that,” he shared. “We need to stay calm and execute what we’ve been doing in training.”
Despite the tough opening loss, De Brito remains optimistic about the Solar Spikers’ potential and emphasized the importance of consistency and trust in their systems moving forward.
Capital1 is set to face an HD Spikers squad riding high from an impressive win over Akari, but even in his absence, De Brito believes his team is prepared to bounce back.
“We’re going to play much better than we did last night,” he said. “Congratulations to Creamline—they’re a strong team.”
In De Brito’s absence, assistant coach Jerome Guhit will take the reins for Capital1 in their clash against Cignal.
