EXCEPT probably for Capital1 Solar owners Milka and Mandy Romero and battle-scarred coach Roger Gorayeb himself, nobody really believed that the Solar Spikers would make a dent in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL)  Reinforced Conference.

On a stormy but memorable Tuesday night at the PhilSports Arena, Mr. Gorayeb and his team silenced the doubters after they pulled off perhaps the biggest victory in their brief history as a PVL franchise.

A mammoth 26-24, 25-20, 25-18 shocker over Petro Gazz, the defending champion and two-time Reinforced Conference titlist, gave Capital1 not just its first victory this conference but also earned it the respect it has long sought.

“Who would have thought na mai-i-straight sets namin, they’re always looking at us as a low-level team, tapos maka-straight sets kami to a more experienced team,” said an emotional Mr. Gorayeb.

“Malaking bagay sa amin iyon, morale-booster sa mga bata iyon,” he added.

The league suspended play Wednesday due to inclement weather.

Mr. Gorayeb credited rock-solid defense and a lethal weapon straight from Russia — Marina Tushova — for the victory.

“Ang lakas ng depensa namin, maski ako nagulat eh. Last time, we were struggling sa counter-attack. Ngayon hindi kami nag-struggle kaya masaya ako,” said Mr. Gorayeb, whose team succumbed to Akari, 25-18, 27-25, 22-25, 25-14, in its first outing Thursday.

“Si Marina (Tushova) sinapian, birthday yata nito. Ang ganda nilaro niya,” he added referring to the crisp-hitting import’s masterful 24-point performance.

The early success was made more special since the team was only formed six months ago when the Romero sisters picked Mr. Gorayeb to mentor the team. — Joey Villar

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