Time for other Titans to step up in leadership role

WITH the departure of Bea de Leon and Denden Lazaro, it’s time for the other Choco Mucho Flying Titans to step up when it comes to leadership roles in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) season.

This is the hope of head coach Dante Alinsunurin albeit it doesn’t necessarily mean that players have to become leaders right away. Gradually, he hopes that some of them grow as leaders of the team.

“We’re going to miss the leadership that those two players bring,” said Alinsunurin, talking about de Leon and Lazaro who left the Flying Titans for the defending champs Cool Smashers.

“We really need players with leadership qualities not just in training but also in games. Hopefully, in due time, other players can fill up the void left by Bea and Denden.”

Holdovers Deanna Wong, Thang Ponce and Des Cheng as well as new recruit in veteran Royse Tubino from PLDT may take the mantle of that leadership role Alinsunurin was talking about.

Tubino isn’t the only new addition to Choco Mucho as the Flying Titans, who finished with a silver medal in the 2023 2nd All-Filipino Conference last December, also beefed up with Mars Alba from F2 Logistics, Mean Mendrez from PLDT and Bia General from Cignal.

They are expected to deeped the Flying Titans rotation.

“We think of what we need after the last conference. With the arrival of Royse, Mars, Mean and Bia, our rotation will be better on the court. It’s just right to have more players, especially with our lengthy season.”