Jaja Santiago makes PVL return after signing with Creamline

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

While other teams are still trying to familiarize themselves with their respective systems in the ongoing Premier Volleyball League On Tour Conference, the Creamline Cool Smashers have been busy cooking something new in their quest for a back-to-back championship title.

In a stunning PVL offseason move, the Cool Smashers acquired the services of Jaja Santiago, one of the most decorated middle blockers in the Philippine volleyball landscape, as announced on Aug. 7, 2026.

Now known as Sachi Minowa after receiving Japanese citizenship in 2024, the superstar middle blocker joins a stacked Creamline roster and is ready for her Pink Nation debut after the PVL On Tour.

“LIMITED TIME ONLY,” the Cool Smashers posted on their official Facebook page.

“Jaja Santiago will return to the #PVL2026 with Creamline before moving to the United States to join San Francisco in the LOVB Pro.”

Social media immediately went into a frenzy after the news dropped, with the majority not foreseeing the development after Santiago signed with San Francisco on July 17, 2026, to become the first Filipina to play professionally in League One Volleyball.

Santiago’s last PVL stint was during the 2021 Open Conference in the Ilocos Norte bubble, where she led the Chery Tiggo Pro Crossovers to the championship title.

After the championship campaign, Santiago earned several overseas import stints in Japan with the Saitama Ageo Medics, Osaka Marvelous, and Denso Airybees.

Santiago’s international stock skyrocketed in 2021 when she propelled the Ageo Medics to the V.League title in a four-set thriller against the NEC Red Rockets.

With LOVB Pro set to begin its inaugural season in January next year, Santiago is currently on vacation, allowing the Rebisco-backed PVL franchise to lure her to a deal.

Santiago will reunite with her former high school teammate at UST, Alyssa Valdez, while fortifying the Cool Smashers’ defensive core with Jeanette Panaga and Bea De Leon.

The towering middle blocker will team up with Michele Gumabao, Jema Galanza, Jen Nierva, Bernadeth Pons, Tots Carlos, Jia Morado-De Guzman, Kyle Negrito, and Denden Lazaro-Revilla.