Veteran George Pascua named new PLDT head coach for PVL

Seasoned mentor George Pascua is taking over the reins as he was named new head coach of the PLDT Home Fibr High Speed Hitters for the upcoming 2022 Premier Volleyball league (PVL) season starting next month.

PLDT made the announcement on Friday as they attempt to eclipse their seventh place finish in the previous 2021 PVL Open Conference, where the team finished with a dismal 3-6 win-loss card.

"I'm both happy and excited because I landed on the team who is a pioneer in volleyball," said Pascua in a statement.

"It was very unexpected. I did not expect to be tapped because PLDT was eyeing a lot of coaches. They talked to me about their plans and we had collaborations. They then called me to say they chose me."

Pascua is coming in as replacement for another decorated mentor, Roger Gorayeb, who had been at the helm since 2013.

"It's been a really good relationship between PLDT and Coach Roger," said SMART and PLDT head of sports Jude Turcuato. "It wasn't just because of the championships that he has won but he was also a father figure to the group with all his experiences. We are really grateful for those eight years.

Pascua, the current FEU women's volleyball coach and a deputy for the national team, is bringing with him plenty of experience.

He led powerhouse Petron to the 2014 Grand Prix and 2015 All-Filipino titles in the Philippine Superliga (PSL) while guiding Cignal to the 2017 Invitational championship. He also had a brief stint with Sta. Lucia in 2018.

At PLDT, Pascua will be working alongside assistant coaches Raffy Mosuela, Mike Santos, and Manolo Refugia while Paolo Escaño is the team's strength and conditioning coach.

"I trust my assistant coaches and I tapped them because the expectations from the team and fans are high," stressed Pascua. "But of course, it's a process and we can't get that in a blink of an eye. We need to form that chemistry with the players."

PVL is tipped to feature a three-conference slate this year with the Open Conference kicking off tentatively on February 16.

—JMB, GMA News