STA. ROSA, Laguna — Jorge Souza de Brito will keep a watchful eye on the upcoming pro and collegiate volleyball seasons which will go full swing starting at the PVL All-Filipino conference next week.
That's because he’s leaving the door open for a few more new names to boost Alas Pilipinas Women.
The last Alas squad to have racked up back-to-back bronze medals in the 2024 Southeast Asian (SEA) V.League had 16 players across both the pro and collegiate ranks.
But for a team that seeks continuous growth ahead of next year’s SEA Games, there will always be room for fresh talent wherever they may come from.
“Right now, we start from zero. We have some really good guys that had really good stints in the last season. But now, it will be the start of the PVL and also the UAAP [and NCAA], so the guys can show up again,” de Brito told SPIN.ph at the sidelines of the 2024 Asian Beach Volleyball Championships in Nuvali.
READ: Alas beach coach confident young PH stars will soon shine on world stage
Without giving names, de Brito will take the next few months as an opportunity to either tap some stars they didn’t call up this year and search for more diamonds in the rough.
“There are some guys who we didn’t bring [to the national team] before but they now have a chance to come,” the 45-year-old Brazilian shot-caller said.
“The national team is always a place for the best guys and the door is wide open for them.”
More pros? More young guns?
Age won’t be too much of a central consideration as de Brito won’t lean towards tapping more stars from one league over the other.
At the end of the day, the Alas coach believes there’s more to a great team than just finding the right pieces.
In the long game, it’ll be more on making all the pieces work right and well as one.
“All games are important because in every team, you have one good player. Some teams, they have more than one. To make them a good mix, you have to see them play in every single match.
de Brito added, “I’ll be there [in this season’s volleyball games] as much as I can. Every match, I’ll try to watch live. If not, I’ll try to watch at a later time.”
As he’s always said from the moment he took on the job, “Since it’s the national team, it means every Filipino has a space to be watched and maybe in the future, we can use them.”
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