Sergio Veloso excited to coach Lady Eagles in UAAP

Brazilian coach Sergio Veloso is excited to coach the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament.

“For me it’s a pleasure to work in a program in Ateneo. This is my first school here. To play with the whole Philippine volleyball team. I’m so excited about this program now. It’s a good opportunity to contribute to Philippine volleyball too,” Veloso told reporters on Tuesday, July 4 at the Mall of Asia Arena, where he was watching the Volleyball Nations League.

Veloso, who also coaches the Philippine men’s volleyball team, was introduced as the new Blue Eagles head coach following his courtesy visit to Ateneo president Fr. Roberto Sy Yap on Monday, July 3.

The Ateneo Lady Eagles UAAP PHOTO

He replaces Oliver Almadro who steered Ateneo to its worst record in 14 years last UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament, where it logged a 4-10 win-loss card to miss the Final Four.

Veloso talked about implementing his system to the Ateneo women’s volleyball team.

“I work with men and women’s a long time. Now here, all the players worked with my ex-club in Brazil. I work with the women’s too. And the system, it’s not so different when you play women’s and men’s,” said Veloso.

“The big difference in the girls, it’s more explosive in men’s but this new, how can I say, this new mentality that we can use in the high level, you can use in the men’s too. And I try to introduce the same idea in the Ateneo, then I introduce in the men’s national team.”

Veloso hopes that the Ateneo community will rally behind him and the Blue Eagles as they try to establish a solid program not just for Season 86 but also in the years to come.

“I hope that the whole Ateneo community stays with us and our target is not only for this season, we need to renew the program. Build a strong program not for this year, but for the next years too.”