Capital1’s Roma Mae Doromal during a PVL on Tour preseason game against Cignal in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.–PVL PHOTO
PVL PHOTO
VIGAN, Ilocos Sur — Capital1 captain Roma Mae Doromal embraces new challenges and bigger responsibilities for the Solar Spikers, who opened the PVL on Tour preseason with losses to Creamline and Cignal.
From being the skipper of Ateneo in the UAAP, Doromal found it tougher to be the leader of a pro team, but she’s handling the task with optimism, sharing good energy and motivating her teammates amid back-to-back losses in Pool B.
READ: PVL: Creamline dominates Capital1 in preseason
Roma Mae Doromal and the Capital1 Solar Spikers had a great time in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. #PVLonTour #PVL2025 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/AjURjjtVWr
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) June 23, 2025
“I see it as something that motivates me more, both on and off the court. I feel like there’s a purpose why I was chosen to be captain, and I really appreciate that they see my leadership. I’m excited to help the team and push them in any way I can,” Doromal told the reporters in Filipino.
“It’s definitely a new and huge challenge. There’s pressure too, but I see it as good pressure because I know I’ll grow from this. I’m now leading more experienced players, so I think this role will really help me grow, which I’m actively seeking. I’m fully embracing the challenge.”
In their transition from coach Roger Gorayeb to Alas Pilipinas tactician Jorge Souza De Brito, the Solar Spikers were swept by the Cool Smashers, 10-25, 21-25, 10-25, on Sunday, followed by a tough 21-25, 22-25, 16-25 result against Cignal.
The star libero, who was drafted by Capital1 in the second round last year, said they just need to trust the process and stay optimistic to learn from their tough Vigan outing.
“It’s challenging, especially since we’ve been with Coach Roger for a long time. But now with the new system, we’re keeping a positive mindset and trusting Coach Jorge with everything,” said Doromal.
READ: PVL: Despite ugly losses, De Brito says ‘job will be delivered’ for Capital1
“We actually had a lot of lapses, but we’re staying positive. We’re eager to work on everything we need to improve during training. We really trust the new system, and all of us are still adjusting to it. It’s definitely a challenge, but we’re up for it.”
Doromal believes that the preseason will be a great help for the new-look Capital1 to build a stronger connection before the Reinforced Conference in October.
“So far, we’re super happy. We’ve also realized there are a lot of things we still need to work on. But we’re really optimistic because we’ve seen how effective Coach Jorge’s system can be. We just need to trust the process. We’re also glad we played here during the On Tour. It gave us a chance to be together every day, so it felt like team building, too,” she said.
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More than improvement, Doromal, one of the fan favorites in Vigan, expressed her gratitude to the love that they received from the Ilocano fans.
“I’m so happy because they really appreciate our talent. I was honestly amazed by the fans here in Vigan. They’re such a strong and supportive volleyball community. It feels great to be in a place where so many people love the sport,” she said.
