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Dimaculangan, Guhit dedicate themselves to UE volleyball’s rebuild
Growth is never linear in sports. But sometimes, it takes a heavy toll when it feels like development has stalled — like you’re no longer moving forward.
University of the East’s collegiate volleyball programs have been facing that predicament since the UAAP’s post-pandemic era.
Both the men’s and women’s teams hit rock bottom in Season 87, losing all 14 games in their respective divisions.
On the women’s side, after Strong Group Athletics ended its support of the team, the school turned to Jumbo Dimaculangan, tapping him to return as head coach after previously holding the position in Seasons 84 and 85.
In those two seasons, UE finished with identical 1-13 records. With the team coming off a winless campaign in Season 87, Dimaculangan had to think twice before accepting what many would consider a thankless job.
“It’s really difficult. To be honest, it really took time for me to accept the role again. Hindi siya madali. I’ve been there, and I know na mahirap,” said Dimaculangan last Wednesday after UE’s 20-25, 14-25, 14-25 loss to FEU that dropped the Lady Warriors to 0-2 in the Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament.
“The reason why I accepted it is because may natira akong players from before, and at the same time, very grateful for the trust of UE na ibigay ulit sa akin yung role. That keeps me motivated as a coach, and I saw new players again na may potential na sana mailabas lang kung ano meron sila.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Dimaculangan is leaning on seniors Angelica Reyes, Khy Cepada, and Van Bangayan to guide a squad composed of 10 rookies.
Even during Seasons 86 and 87, when the program was backed by SGA, UE struggled to climb out of the hole it had long been stuck in. The team compiled a combined 3-25 record over those two years.
On the men’s side, the situation has been strikingly similar.
Although Jerome Guhit has served as head tactician since Season 82, the Red Warriors’ best finish in recent years was a 5-9 record for sixth place in Season 85. The last two seasons offered little relief, as the team managed just one win in 28 games.
Dimaculangan has been assisting Guhit with the men’s team, while Guhit has also been helping out on the women’s side — a shared effort to lift UE from years of struggle.
Trying to pull the program from the depths of adversity, Dimaculangan admits the road is difficult. But as long as the passion remains, they will keep pushing forward.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Kami naman kasi ay coaching is all about passion. The reason why we’re staying in UE is we’re very passionate sa craft namin, despite the setbacks,” he said.
“Right now, maraming challenges for men’s and women’s teams. We’re still working hard. Sa men’s team kanina, we were positive with the result na ito, yung tao na meron kami, at nailalabas namin yung potential na meron sila. Same with the women’s din, we have to be consistent lang sa magaganda na ginagawa namin, especially yung composure,” he added.
Though still winless on the men’s side, the Red Warriors have made their opponents work for every point. They pushed the UP Fighting Maroons to five sets last weekend before falling in a tightly-contested, straight-sets match against FEU, 20-25, 23-25, 23-25.
There are, at the very least, encouraging signs.
For both programs, the challenge now is turning potential and flashes of progress into actual victories. Dimaculangan and Guhit remain steadfast in that mission.
And the UE community can take solace in the fact that the coaching duo has no plans of walking away while the fire still burns.
“Sabi ko nga, if the time will come na medyo nabawasan na yung commitment and yung passion, I think that’s the only time that we’ll stop coaching. Not only with UE, but with the work itself,” said Dimaculangan.
“Every day, we’re giving our 100-percent, and siguro our players would know and alam naman nila how committed we are in pushing them and working really hard every single day.
“It’s still a work in progress, but we know that results will come.”
The post Dimaculangan, Guhit dedicate themselves to UE volleyball’s rebuild appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
VICTORIAS, Negros Occidental — Volleyball fans made sure Jaja Santiago knew just how much they’ve missed her in the Philippines.
And the 6-foot-5 tower, in return, granted as many selfies, autographs, and photos as she could after her first game back in the country in five years — this time with Creamline.
It was a triumphant homecoming for Santiago, who helped the Cool Smashers sweep the Galeries Tower Highrisers, 25-21, 25-16, 25-21, in front of a massive, roaring crowd that trooped to the Victorias City Coliseum here on Saturday for a successful conclusion to the 2026 PVL On Tour Showdown.
Santiago definitely missed the wild Filipino crowd, as her last stint in the country in 2021 with Chery Tiggo happened in a bubble setup during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Santiago led the then-Chery Tiggo Crossovers to the PVL’s first professional championship in the Bacarra, Ilocos Norte bubble, defeating her current team, the Cool Smashers, in three games in the Finals.
“Sobrang nakaka-proud na ang daming nanonood sa atin ngayon. Despite na anong oras na rin, nandito sila, todo suporta, and yung effort talaga is there. Sobrang grateful namin na — alam mo yun, yung volleyball dito sa atin sa Philippines is really growing,” said Santiago, who also carries the Japanese name Sachi Minowa.
“And sa loob kasi ng court, kung maririnig ko yung gantong cheer, madadala ka eh. Sila yung parang nagbibigay din sa’yo ng power, ng lakas talaga sa loob ng court. And lagi ko nga sinasabi, itong crowd na ito, itong mga fans na ito, sila rin yung dahilan kung bakit kami nandito,” she continued.
Since her last stint with Chery Tiggo, Santiago has won two Best Middle Blocker awards in the Japan SV.League, Japan’s top-level volleyball tournament.
She spent seven seasons in Japan before taking her talents to the United States’ League One Volleyball (LOVB), which will begin in early 2027, paving the way for her stint with the Cool Smashers in the 2026 PVL Invitational Conference.
Creamline, an early favorite following its signing of Santiago, will go head-to-head with defending champion PLDT, Farm Fresh, Nxled, Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, and Thailand’s EST Cola in the week-long Invitational beginning on August 31. All games will take place at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Even after getting her feet wet with the one-game appearance in the province-hopping PVL On Tour, Santiago is still taking extra caution heading into the Invitational.
“Siyempre, iba pa rin sa Invitational kasi may makakalaban din kami na Vietnam, Thailand. Magandang preparation itong On Tour sa amin sa team kasi we still have a lot of adjustments na kailangang ayusin sa team. And we’re not perfect,” she said.
“Sa Invitational, we’re gonna do our very best. Yan lang, magiging tight yung schedule and hoping na maganda yung recovery ng bawat isa every day, every game.”
The post Jaja Santiago feels love from home crowd in first Philippine game in five years appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
VICTORIAS, Negros Occidental — Jaja Santiago-Minowa made a triumphant return to the Premier Volleyball League, helping her new team Creamline sweep Galeries Tower, 25-21, 25-16, 25-21, for a successful end to the 2026 On Tour Showdown on Saturday inside a jampacked Victorias City Coliseum here.
The 6-foot-5 middle blocker last played in the PVL in 2021 during the “Bacarra bubble,” leading the now-defunct Chery Tiggo to the league’s first professional championship.
The Cool Smashers swept their two games in the Tour. They were originally scheduled to face the Capital1 Solar Spikers on August 8 in the Santiago, Isabela leg, but the match was canceled due to Tropical Depression Maymay.
(C) PVL Images
“Siyempre excited kami kasi siyempre Jaja Santiago ’yan. Ang gusto naming mangyari rin talaga maging maganda yung chemistry ng team lalo na parating na ‘yung Invitational, yun yung pinakaimportante kasi yung skills ng team nandiyan na eh,” said Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses.
The Highrisers threatened to extend the match after taking a slim 20-19 lead in the third set, but the Cool Smashers remained calm and composed down the stretch.
Jema Galanza and Kyle Negrito sparked a three-point run to swing the momentum in Creamline’s favor before Bea de Leon, Alyssa Valdez, and Pangs Panaga also connected, fueling a 6-1 finishing run that sealed the victory in 92 minutes.
Valdez led the balanced attack for the Cool Smashers with 10 points, while Galanza added seven points and 11 excellent digs.
Santiago-Minowa, Panaga, and Tots Carlos finished with six points apiece, while Negrito tallied 17 excellent sets and two points.
Creamline will next see action in the Invitational Conference, which starts on August 31. Defending champion PLDT, Farm Fresh, Nxled, Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, and Thailand’s EST Cola will join the Cool Smashers in the week-long tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
(C) PVL Images
Meanwhile, the Highrisers ended their Tour campaign with a 1-2 record, earning a win over the Foxies while losing to the Chameleons.
PVL Draft 2025 second overall pick Jean Asis led Galeries Tower with nine points, while Bacolod native Erika Deloria added six.
The post Jaja Santiago makes triumphant PVL return as Creamline sweeps Galeries Tower appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
VICTORIAS, Negros Occidental — Roma Mae Doromal sees the 2026 PVL On Tour Showdown as an opportunity for the revamped Capital1 to build chemistry ahead of the regular season.
The Solar Spikers’ defensive specialist pointed out how the On Tour Showdown’s all-to-play rule has brought out the best in everyone.
“For us, malaking opportunity rin itong On Tour because everyone gets a chance to play. Nakakatulong iyon para mabuo namin ang chemistry and makita kung nasaan na kami as a team as we prepare for the All-Filipino Conference,” said Doromal on Friday here.
Capital1 is set to have a brighter future in the All-Filipino Conference with Alas Pilipinas stars Bella Belen, Vanie Gandler, and Erika Santos expected to return from national team duty.
With their overhauled roster, Doromal is eyeing a stronger Solar Spikers squad as they seek to surpass their seventh-place finishes in the 2024 and 2025 Reinforced Conferences, their highest placements in franchise history.
“Siyempre super excited kasi ngayon yung team namin, yung dynamic ng team namin more competitive and doon na papasok yung winning mentality ng team. Very excited talaga and super blessed talaga kami na nagkaroon kami ng new players and super looking forward lang din sa mabibring nila sa team,” said Doromal, the 2024 14th overall pick.
Capital1 will face Farm Fresh on Saturday at the Victorias City Coliseum in its final PVL On Tour Showdown match.
Without their national team stars, the Solar Spikers will rely on Shaya Adorador, Ysa Jimenez, Trisha Genesis, Sydney Niegos, and rookies Detdet Pepito and Khy Cepada.
It will be the Solar Spikers’ second game in the Tour after their scheduled match against Creamline on August 8 in Santiago, Isabela, was canceled due to Tropical Depression Maymay.
“Yung team namin ngayon, mas nagfo-focus kami on ourselves kung paano namin ipapakita yung talents ng bawat isa. I think yun talaga yung pinaka need namin iwork on, yung kung ano yung dynamic ng team namin and magiging performance ng team namin,” shared Doromal.
The post Roma Mae Doromal eyes more competitive Capital1 after roster revamp appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
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