JIA de Guzman has signed with Japan V.League Division 1 club Denso Airybees.
Premier Volleyball League’s eight-time best setter becomes the third Filipina to play in Japanese volleyball’s top flight. Jaja Santiago was the first, playing for Saitama Ageo Medics before moving to JT Marvelous.
Her older sister, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, followed suit for the Toray Arrows as the esteemed sibling pair took the hardcourt together in their concurrent Japan stints.
Jia De Guzman to play in Japan V. League
"I was contacted and invited by Denso through an agent prior to the Southeast Asian Games back in May. I know I won't be playing volleyball forever, and this opportunity came at the perfect time for me to be able to pursue a lifelong dream of playing as an import setter," said De Guzman, who played for Creamline in the PVL for the past six years.
“We know how important it is for me to be able to connect with the team, especially the spikers, so everyone has been actively teaching me how to speak some Japanese and they also ask me to teach them how to speak English,” she added.
Her V.League debut could take place on Oct. 28 when the Airybees take on reigning champions NEC Red Rockets.
De Guzman’s farewell PVL stint ended in a runner-up finish to unbeaten Japanese guest team Kurashiki Ablaze after a crushing five-set loss in the knockout title game of the PVL Invitational Conference.
Kyle Negrito is expected to take over as Cool Smashers' playmaker for the club's title defense in the All-Filipino Conference starting on Oct. 16.
Fourth in the league last season, the Airybees welcomed the first-ever Philippine player in an Instagram post on Thursday.
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