WHEN asked about expanding his Alas Pilipinas player pool, head coach Jorge Souza de Brito had one name in mind: Cignal’s lead playmaker Gel Cayuna.
READ: De Brito keeps Alas door open for Gel Cayuna, other PVL standouts
De Brito has good reason to aim for Cayuna's services. She is the PVL’s second-most decorated setter of all time with four Best Setter plums to her name, second only to Creamline’s Jia de Guzman, who has eight.
An honor with a (Cignal) responsibility
But moving the 26-year-old HD Spiker from Cignal to the national team is easier said than done. While it is an honor to carry the national flag, there is also some consideration regarding her role with Cignal which is aiming to win a championship and which could put this target in jeopardy if she leaves.
Cignal head coach Shaq delos Santos said so while assessing the impact of such move.
A former Philippine team head coach himself from 2018 to 2021, Delos Santos says it isn’t always a straightforward decision for players to accept national team invites with multiple considerations to consider.
“Sobrang na-appreciate lang namin ‘yun na ‘yung talents and skills ni Gel, kung paano siya maglaro, [nakikita nila], sobrang thankful kami doon. But siguro ‘yung regarding na talaga diyan, to be honest, matinding isipin siya,” said delos Santos.
“Hindi siya biro.”
And speaking from Cignal’s vantage point, podium finish aside, the last Reinforced Conference alone was a bit rocky as the team had to overcome the absences of Alas stars Dawn Macandili-Catindig and Vanie Gandler.
Thus, if Delos Santos will have his way, he would prefer to keep the HD Spikers as intact as possible during PVL play.
“Sa totoo lang, nakikita niyo naman ‘yung team namin, up and down, up and down, nag-struggle din kami, Medyo ngayon lang ulit nakakabwelo so talagang kailangan ayusin muna namin ‘yung team namin. Ayun muna.”
Nothing is set in stone as De Brito only gave a brief preview of his Alas wishlist in citing Cayuna.
But moving forward, Macandili-Catindig and Gandler are expected to return to Cignal duties when the new PVL season begins in November with the All-Filipino Conferene.
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