Cargo Movers acquire first PVL lady coach in Diego

MANILA, Philippines — F2 Logistics made a historic acquisition of Regine Diego as its new coach along with power-hitter Myla Pablo in its quest for glory in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference unfurling Feb. 4 at the PhilSports Arena.

Diego will take over from Benson Bocboc, who handled the Cargo Movers in two conferences last season, thus becoming the first woman to earn a coaching job in the country’s lone pro volley league.

Diego’s experience as coach stretches back from coaching Calabarzon in the Palarong Pambansa to Nazareth School where she won a UAAP girls crown in 2019 and to the National University seniors’ team where she was part of the coaching staff in 2020.

Now she’s making the giant leap to the pros where she would have a chance to prove her real worth.

Diego will coach a proud franchise that also recently recruited Pablo, a two-time PVL MVP and part of the Petro Gazz team that ruled the Reinforced Conference a year ago.

F2 was one of the teams that made a coaching change in the off-season, the others being PLDT (Rald Ricafort), Petro Gazz (Oliver Almadro) and Choco Mucho (Dante Alinsunurin).

Meanwhile, Akari further shored up its roster after snaring one of the most sought after free agents in the league – Dindin Manabat.

The 6-2, 29-year-old spiker came from Chery Tiggo, which she and her sister, Jaja Santiago, helped steer to the 2021 Open Conference crown in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.

The Jorge de Brito-mentored Chargers have also tabbed champion libero Bang Pineda from Petro Gazz and opposite spiker Eli Soyud from PLDT.