Gunning for their fourth consecutive title, the Pocari Sweat Lady Warriors are looking to prove that they’re just as good with an All-Filipino lineup when they start their campaign in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference which begins on Sunday at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Warriors provided a transcendent performance in the recently-concluded Reinforced Conference, continuing their tradition of bringing in stellar imports.
In less than two years in the league, Pocari Sweat have won all three club titles since debuting in the Shakey’s V-League last season.
Now, without the hard-hitting Krystal Rivers and high-flying Michelle Strizak, the Lady Warriors are going back to the heart of their lineup in their quest for a fourth straight title.
Two-time Finals Most Valuable Player and team captain Myla Pablo will continue to lead the team despite a nagging back injury.
While a Season MVP is the only thing missing from her growing list of achievements, the Tarlac native is focused only on raising another championship trophy.
“Wala po sa isip ko ‘yung MVP or individual awards kasi mas importante ang championship. Sa court naman po tulungan lang kami para mapaganda ‘yung laro ng isa’t isa. Meron pa kaming Mel Gohing, Gyzelle Sy, Jeanette Panaga,” said the former National University Lady Bulldog.
Still, Pocari Sweat are looking for MVP-esque numbers from their ace as the PVL field grows to eight squads with the addition of the University of the Philippines and Akari-Adamson.
“She’s our franchise player so we’re always expecting her to be challenging for the MVP. We have a Myla on our team. She can lead us in a very competitive field. While the championship is not a sure thing for us, we expect to be very competitive. We’re just very happy that Myla is available,” said Pocari Sweat director Atty. Eric Anthony Ty.
The Lady Warriors, however, will have new head coach Sgt. Rico De Guzman at the helm. With an eye for expansion, the Lady Warriors decided to promote former head coach Rommel Abella to Director of Scouting and Player Development.
“We’re looking at expanding the team; finding new players and developing new strategies with an eye to possibly opening a second team in the future.
“We need to people to act as our eyes for recruitment. Right now, we have a stable team. We’re very happy with our new team manager, Attorney Ken Mirasol, and we’re also very happy with our new head coach Sergeant Rico De Guzman,” added Ty. “In terms of recruiting and scouting, the team owner is still looking at me and Rommel Abella to contribute heavily. It all depends on how many players we can recruit. There are 14 club teams currently in the Philippines and there are only so many volleyball players.
“There’s not enough players to go around. We need to go around the country to find hidden gems in the provinces.”
