TOP teams in the Rebisco Volleyball League could soon get a chance to see action tournaments in in Hawaii as Aloha Region Juniors assistant coach J.R. Olaso looks to establish a working relationship with the local developmental league.
Hawaii-based Olaso, whose grandfather is Filipino, is impressed with the young Filipinas’ level of play and hopes to provide a further boost by inviting teams to Hawaii volleyball events.
“What we want to do is establish a relationship with Rebisco Volleyball League and the way the league invited us to come here to play in this tournament, we’d like to continue that relationship by inviting teams from the Philippines to come play in tournaments of ours back in Hawaii,” said Olaso, who has been coaching for 31 years and has worked with 72 teams in 26 states and 10 countries.
“That gives these Filipino teams travel experience and it will also give them playing experience, playing different types of opponents.
Olaso also believes it would help to introduce the Rebisco Volleyball League products to US coaches.
“And it will make them more visible especially if they come during a time more college coaches are in town in Hawaii where they can see the talent level, the skill level, the work ethic and the volleyball IQ of these teens from the Rebisco Volleyball League.”
Olaso is in the Philippines for the first time since visiting Davao in 2011.
Although the Aloha Region Juniors has breezed through its four assignments in Pool A to advance to the semifinals, Olaso says it has not been that easy playing the Filipinas.
“What we’ve seen here the last few days for the size of the student athlete there are some talent here,“ he said. “The game is fast. They defend well, they serve tough, they serve five, six feet from the baseline, they like running a lot of combination plays with the middle and the outside, with the middle and the right side.
“That’s what I see I don’t know what it was five, ten, fifteen years ago but it’s good volleyball and it’s good volleyball for this area.”
“The fact that the structure of this league gets you nine champions from different areas over the country and this is essentially the country tournament. It’s good because you get the best from around the country,” Olaso concluded.