By Abby Toralba
HIGHLY-RESPECTED collegiate volleyball coach Jerry Yee, who takes over the reins of the Strong Group Athletics team that will sport a new name in the next Philippine Volleyball League Conference, has pulled off a neat pre-season draft trick.
Responsible for steering the College of Saint Benilde Lady Blazers to two straight NCAA women’s volleyball championships, Yee revealed over the weekend that the SGA squad will be now known as SGA Zus-Coffee in the PVL’s next tournament.
Yee also bared that four of his CSB graduating players — Gayle Pascual, Michelle Gamit, Jade Gentapa and Cloanne Mondonedo, who previously played for SGA’s sister-team, Farm Fresh Foxies, as guest players, will be on the SGA regular roster.
“Iyong apat [na graduating players namin] — we tried na iwasan iyong draft system so naglaro na sila ng one full conference sa PVL last year, sa Farm Fresh na sila, which is considered an expansion team na,” explained Yee, who previously handled the Farm Fresh squad.
He revealed the development after piloting the Lady Blazers to a 25-21, 25-15, 25-14 over Letran in Game 1 of their best-of-3 NCAA women’s volleyball title series at The Arena in San Juan.
“So, iyong apat (Gayle Pascual, Michelle Gamit, Jade Gentapa and Cloanne Mondonedo) aangat. Then kung sino man iyong mada-draft namin, plus iyong makukuha namin na free agents or undrafted players so ganun iyong [magiging] composition ng SGA-SGA-Zus Coffee,” Yee said.
“Ang Farm [Fresh] buo na, kumpleto na so iyon talaga iyong purpose ng SGA, tapos para dito sa CSB girls natin na aangat [sa pros]. So meron na silang arrangement with the PVL,” he elaborated.
The PVL will hold its first Rookie Draft on July 6.
After winding up at the tailend of the last All-Filipino Conference, Strong Group’s chances of securing the top pick in the lottery has vastly improved.
