Cignal head coach Shaq delos Santos sees the sudden influx of Japanese coaches, trainers and consultants in the Premier Volleyball League as both a challenge and an opportunity for local mentors.

The coming 2024 season opening on 20 February will see more Japanese coaches calling the shots with Nxled's Taka Minowa and Petro Gazz's new tactician Koji Tsuzurabara.

Other clubs have also tapped experts from the Asian volleyball powerhouse nation to help bolster their respective systems as teams have been slowly shifting to the Japanese style of play.

"Most likely this (shift) will happen but of course, coaches have different styles. Teams have different core players. It will depend on how they will handle things. But the good thing, for me, local coaches will be challenged to work h with foreign coaches coming in," Delos Santos said during Cignal's training session at the Gameville Ball Park in Mandaluyong on Monday.

The HD Spikers mentor welcomes the chance to test his and other Filipino coaches' mettle against Japanese tacticians.

"For us (local coaches) this is a big opportunity for us to go up against these high-caliber coaches and experts from Japan. Win or lose, what is important is that we could learn from them," the former national team coach said.

"The good thing about it is that we're seeing Japanese coaches in the league and we all know how capable they are. But it doesn't mean that we'll just be content with what we do. Me, I'll work harder, double my effort to ensure further improvement to our team."

Minowa, who is also the volleyball program director of the Christopher Tiu franchise which includes the Chameleons' sister team Akari, debuted in the 2nd All-Filipino Conference last year.

Farm Fresh also signed 2023 Invitational Conference champion Kurashiki Ablaze head coach Hideo Suzuki as team consultant and Masster Shimizu as trainer.

Delos Santos, along with his assistant coach Rico De Guzman, Chery Tiggo mentor Kungfu Reyes and Galeries Tower coach Lerma Giron, went to Japan to observe and study the Japanese style of play, tactics and discipline during the University of Santo Tomas' training camp with Suzuki and his team.

"We saw things that we can apply in our team. I'm sure it will be a big plus for us," he said.

"Actually, when we got there what we got to learn was more on the movement of the team. How to balance our player movement in every situation. Their technique and tactics are great. They're not just doing the usual drills. You really need to have the knowledge to do these things. I'm sure it's not easy to do but it's up to us coaches how we would apply these things to our teams."

Cignal, coming off the heels of two bronze medal finishes last year, is coming into the season with hopes of capturing the elusive crown.

The HD Spikers will be parading an intact core led by 2023 Invitational Conference Most Valuable Player Ces Molina, 2nd AFC Best Setter Gel Cayuna, Roselyn Doria, Ria Meneses, libero Jheck Dionela and rising star Vanie Gandler.

Seasoned opposite spiker Jovelyn Gonzaga is also expected to suit up once she gets the greenlight to play from the Philippine Army.

Cignal also signed decorated defense specialist Dawn Macandili-Catindig and young winger Jovelyn Fernandez from the disbanded F2 Logistics.