The 2024 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference marked a significant moment for Est Cola head coach Wanna Buakaew, though it was not her first foray into Philippine volleyball.
Buakaew, a former libero for the Thailand national team, boasts an impressive 14-year career spanning from 2001 to 2015.
During this time, she earned eight Southeast Asian Games gold medals, including one from the 2005 edition held in Manila.
Reflecting on the evolution of Philippine volleyball, Buakaew has observed notable progress. Comparing the style of play she encountered growing up in Thailand to the current standards in the PVL, she acknowledges considerable improvement.
“From my experience, since I also played here in the Philippines before being a coach, the Philippine style of volleyball and Thailand style is really close and not different,” Buakaew noted through a translator on Monday.
“But I feel like now, the Philippine style is more improved. Unlike before that it was not so good, but now every team is improved and they play a lot of combination,” she added.
(C) PVL Images
Despite this progress, Buakaew’s team faced challenges during the Invitational Conference. They suffered three consecutive losses before securing their first win in their final elimination round game.
Est Cola managed to escape Farm Fresh in a dramatic five-set match, 22-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-20, 17-15.
Est Cola comprises players from Thailand’s under-18 and under-20 national teams.
They concluded the elimination round with a 1-3 record and will be hoping for a Farm Fresh loss against Creamline on Wednesday to keep their hopes alive for a bronze medal on Thursday.
One key observation Buakaew made was the shared enjoyment of volleyball between the two teams.
She emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive attitude on the court, regardless of the circumstances or scoreline.
“Our volleyball style, we play happy. I tell my staff to not put pressure on the players, just tell them to try our best something like that,” said Buakaew, who had stints in Italy, Azerbaijan, and Germany during her playing career.
“However, I still talk to them about skills and techniques.”
