ALAS Pilipinas' Jorge Souza de Brito is the new head coach of the Capital1 Solar Spikers.
READ: Nitura joins Belen, Canino in final Alas Pilipinas lineup for AVC
In a shock twist days after the draft combine, the national team mentor has taken over the reins from Roger Gorayeb after just over a year at the helm.
Gorayeb will now transition into a consultancy role moving forward.
The Solar Spikers are set to make another franchise-defining decision in less than a week's time with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft.
It is worth noting that the Solar Spikers and Alas Women share the same team manager in Hollie Reyes, who previously handled the defunct F2 Logistics Cargo Movers prior to their disbandment in 2023.
Coach Jorge's PVL homecoming
This won’t be the first time that the former Olympic gold medalist will hold concurrent coaching roles for club and country.
The 58-year-old Brazilian shot-caller was Akari’s first head coach when it entered the PVL in 2022.
His appointment for the newest PVL team at the time came roughly a year into his tenure as Alas Pilipinas head coach.
In the four conferences he's coached, Akari finished seventh once, eighth twice and 10th once.
Since then, de Brito had newfound success as national team coach when Alas Women racked up a hat-trick of bronze medals in 2024 during the AVC Challenge Cup and the Southeast Asian (SEA) V.League.
A busy year ahead, however, means that there'll be certain compromises made as the nationals embark on two regional competitions in Vietnam this month to begin preparations for the 33rd SEA Games in December.
The first is the AVC Nations Cup, which will coincide with the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft on June 8.
As such, de Brito will be monitoring draft-night activities from Hanoi and leave the on-ground decision making to Gorayeb and the rest of the Capital1 coaches and management.
Foundations laid firm
In his final interview as head coach during Day 2 of the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft Combine, Gorayeb was elated to have landed the first overall pick in pursuit of a potential franchise face that will turn the team's fortunes around.
More importantly, he reflected on a whirlwind of a journey he's been through in the club's first year of existence in the PVL.
To see his team built from scratch make gains and watch his young guns rise from the ground up has been one of his life's greatest honor as a volleyball coach yet.
"After one year and three months, mabubuo na rin ang team na ito," Gorayeb said.
"Nagsimula naman ako dito na wala talagang player, so after 15 months, medyo maganda ganda na yung sitwasyon ngayon kaya dapat mapili namin yung gusto [namin]."
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