Capital1, Gorayeb find winning energy

Games tomorrow (PhilSports Arena) 4 p.m. – Creamline vs Galeries Tower / 6 p.m. – Cignal vs Nxled

It’s been a while since battle-scarred coach Roger Gorayeb has won a game in the Premier Volleyball League.

But when it came, the multi-titled mentor made sure it would be memorable.

And it was as Capital1 Solar Energy, Gorayeb’s new club, turned back Strong Group Athletics, 25-18, 25-20, 19-25, 25-20, yesterday, and barged into the win column in the PVL All-Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena.

“Ganitong panalo, masarap matulog,” said the 63-year-old Gorayeb, winner of numerous titles in the collegiate ranks as well as the PVL’s precursor, the Shakey’s V-League where he steered PLDT to the 2014 crown.

It was the first win for the Solar Spikers, owned by sisters Milka and Mandy Romero, after three games and despite having just less than two months to form the team and practice together.

For Gorayeb, it was his first in the league since steering PLDT, his former team, to a 25-20, 25-14, 25-19 triumph over Cignal in the Bacarra, Ilocos Norte bubble in 2021.

That turned out to be his last taste of victory as a coach. In between, Gorayeb battled cancer and won it.

When he got another chance to return to the league, he didn’t promise the moon to the franchise and instead vowed to make the Solar Spikers respectable and wouldn’t at least finish last.

“Prior to everything, nag-meeting naman kami. Sinabi ko tiis tayo this conference at ang promise ko hindi tayo magbo-bottom, which is hopefully mangyari kasi nanalo kami, siguro naman hindi kami magbo-bottom,” he said. Capital1 captain Jorelle Singh paced her team with 13 points while Judielle Quizon continued to learn on the fly and dished out 13 excellent sets for the Solar Spikers.