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Jaja Santiago eager to impart Japan experience, learn from Creamline OGs

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VICTORIAS, Negros Occidental — Despite her volleyball pedigree, Jaja Santiago believes learning will be a two-way street during her stint with Creamline in the Premier Volleyball League.

The 6-foot-5 middle blocker returned to the Philippines after signing with the 11-time PVL champions Cool Smashers for the Invitational Conference, which runs from August 31 to September 8 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Santiago hopes to impart the knowledge she gained from seven seasons playing in Japan’s SV.League to Creamline’s current middle blocker rotation, which includes Bea de Leon, Nica Celis, Mich Gamit, Pangs Panaga, Erin Pangilinan, and Sheena Toring.

“Actually I’m not a perfect middle pero if kaya ko mai-share sa kanila yung experience ko na nakuha international, little by little, I’m sharing even the small things ganyan pag nagtatanong sila I’m really sharing yung knowledge ko about volleyball,” said Santiago on Thursday during the PVL On Tour Showdown meet-and-greet at the Victorias City Coliseum.

Known as Sachi Minowa in Japan, Santiago won two Best Middle Blocker awards during her eight-year stint there and helped Osaka Marvelous win the championship in the 2024-25 season.

However, Santiago also wants to embrace Creamline’s culture during her short stint with the team before flying to the United States to play for League One Volleyball’s San Francisco Signal.

“Overwhelming kasi ang daming talented players sa Creamline and marami ding mga bata. I’m excited to learn from the young players and the OGs of Creamline Cool Smashers,” she said.

Creamline will face Galeries Tower in the main game on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., while Capital1 and Farm Fresh collide at 4 p.m.

Whether Santiago will see action, however, remains a question.

“Tinatanong ko nga si Coach She (Meneses). Sabi niya, maghintay lang ako. Baka maglalaro.”

The post Jaja Santiago eager to impart Japan experience, learn from Creamline OGs appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.

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ZUS Coffee to grace Mighty Sports Center volleyball court launch

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Two weeks after inaugurating its basketball courts, Mighty Sports Center will officially open its volleyball courts at AcroCity in Guiguinto, Bulacan, on Saturday, October 10, in what promises to be another festive affair.

Rising star Jolina Dela Cruz and veterans Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rachell Anne Daquiz, along with the rest of the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, will join the celebration dubbed “SET.SPIKE.PLAY.”

AcroCity and Czark Mak chairman Caesar Wongchuking, a longtime sports patron, said that aside from the exhibition match between ZUS Coffee and the Makata Selection of Bulacan at 4 p.m., the event will also feature a meet-and-greet session where fans can interact with their PVL idols.

“Just like the inauguration of the basketball courts, fans can interact with these professional volleyball players,” said Wongchuking. “It’s our own little way to giving back to communities.”

Wongchuking added that proceeds from the event will go to Tahanang Mapagpala of Immaculada Concepcion Foundation, Inc. He also thanked ZUS Coffee owner Frank Lao for allowing his players to take part in the celebration.

Also expected to grace the event are Bulacan Vice Governor Alex Castro and Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad.

The volleyball courts are part of the Mighty Sports Center at AcroCity, a development envisioned as a “Live, Work, Play” destination in Guiguinto.

Aside from its basketball and volleyball courts and modern fitness center, AcroCity is also home to Acro Residences Hotel, restaurants such as Cafe de Margaux and Mt. Fuji, and event venues including Ang Hardin and NDW Plaza, which is named after the Wongchuking family matriarch, Nelia D. Wongchuking.

The post ZUS Coffee to grace Mighty Sports Center volleyball court launch appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.

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Golden Eaglets begin U17 AFCON qualifiers vs Cote d’Ivoire

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The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria will begin their qualifying campaign for the U17 AFCON against Cote d’Ivoire next week Wednesday.

Their other Group B match will be against Niger three days later.

The WAFU B U17 AFCON qualifying tournament will kick off Saturday, when hosts Burkina Faso take on Benin and Ghana square up against Togo.

Burkina Faso head Group A, whose overall winners will face runners-up in Group B for a place in the championship game.

The post Golden Eaglets begin U17 AFCON qualifiers vs Cote d’Ivoire first appeared on Score Nigeria.

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Alex Eala, Shaira Rivera roll into Asian Games doubles second round

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Alex Eala and Shaira Rivera hurdled their first test as a doubles pair, defeating Hong Kong’s Kallista Liu and Lai Ching Laam, 6-1, 6-3, in the opening round of the women’s doubles tournament at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Tuesday.

With the outdoor courts washed out by continuous rain, Eala and Rivera had their original schedule pushed back to the evening. The long delay, however, did little to disrupt their rhythm as they quickly took control of the match.

Eala, ranked No. 127 in the world in doubles, and Rivera, a standout at NCAA Division II school University of West Alabama, needed little time to jell as a pair.

2026-Asian-Games-Alex-Eala-1 Alex Eala, Shaira Rivera roll into Asian Games doubles second round News Tennis  - philippine sports news

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After their opponents held serve in the opening game, the Filipinas rattled off six straight games to take the first set in just 33 minutes.

The second set lasted a bit longer, but Eala and Rivera remained in control for most of the way to seal the victory at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.

The road ahead, however, will be considerably tougher in the second round. Eala and Rivera will face doubles specialists and third seeds Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan of China.

The 27-year-old Jiang is ranked No. 22 in the world in doubles and recently reached the Wimbledon semifinals. Then Yang, 31, has a career-high doubles ranking of No. 9 and has also reached the semifinals of the French Open.

Both Filipinas are also into the next round in their other competitions — Rivera with partner Francis Alcantara in mixed doubles, and Eala in the women’s singles.

The post Alex Eala, Shaira Rivera roll into Asian Games doubles second round appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.

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