JAJA Santiago's Creamline debut is coming sooner than expected.
The former PVL MVP won’t have to wait for the Invitational Conference to make her first appearance for the Cool Smashers, as she is set to suit up for the first time in Creamline's signature pink this Sunday, August 16, in Cagayan de Oro.
READ: Jaja secures GAB license for PVL return with Creamline
Santiago-Minowa will see action in the Rebisco Volleyball Sisterhood Showdown, an exhibition showcase pitting Creamline against sister team Choco Mucho at the Aquilino Pimentel International Convention Center.
It comes after the 6-foot-5 middle blocker cleared the final hurdles for her return to Philippine volleyball, securing her professional license with the Games and Amusements Board and receiving the PVL’s green light to play as a local.
Despite acquiring Japanese citizenship, Minowa remains eligible as a local by virtue of being a natural-born Filipina. She was also a free agent upon her return, allowing her to join Creamline without being classified as an import.
After years of building her career in Japan, Santiago-Minowa is finally ready to bring her game back home.
“Na-miss niyo ba ko? I’m finally back and I’m excited to play in CDO,” she said in one of Rebisco’s promotional videos.
Double sister act
Her first game in a Creamline jersey also comes with an added storyline.
Santiago-Minowa won’t just be facing the Cool Smashers’ sister club. She will also find herself across the net from her own sister, Choco Mucho veteran Dindin Santiago-Manabat, marking the first time the champion siblings will face each other in the league.
It is also the first chance for the Cool Smashers to see their new addition in actual game action, just before the Invitational, and a glimpse of how she can fit into a stacked core that has continued to contend for championships.
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