Capital1 coach Jorge Souza De Brito relished the chance to test his team’s mettle against the Dominican Republic in a friendly match ahead of the new PVL season.
Revamped Capital1 faced the Dominican Republic, which recently saw action in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week 2 in Pasig City.
De Brito admitted that the world-class squad was too strong, but he was pleased with the experience and lessons his wards gained.
‘As a first friendly match, it was very good. Even without having all the key players on the court at the same time, the system proved to be viable, even against the strong Dominican team,’ De Brito told the Inquirer.
‘There is no comparison between the level of the teams, but learning how to handle the fundamentals in critical situations may have been the greatest lesson from the game. We will have moments like these in the competitions ahead.’
The Dominican Republic captured its first win in the VNL Saturday last week, stunning erstwhile-unbeaten Japan at Philsports Arena.
Capital1 had a busy offseason, landing Cignal’s MVP pair of Vanie Gandler and Erika Santos, and free agent setter Jaja Maraguinot.
The two-year-old franchise drafted University of Santo Tomas captain and two-time UAAP Best Libero Detdet Pepito at No. 2 and University of the East go-to scorer Khy Cepada to surround PVL Rookie of the Year Bella Belen with more talent.
De Brito believes that with the right pieces, they are on the right track. But the work doesn’t end there, as he seeks to strengthen their connection before kicking off the new season next week in the PVL on Tour.
‘We are on the right path, and with the support of these new players, Capital 1 continues its journey of growth and development. Without a doubt, the quality of the players naturally leads people to expect exponential growth, but performance depends on the chemistry we are building, and of course, on the ups and downs that every new group experiences,’ the Brazilian coach said.
‘Our goal is to exceed expectations through hard work and by doing things the right way for our team.’