DON’T look now but Aylja “Jaja” Santiago is reaching for the sky as she hones in the prestigious Japan Women’s V.League.
Santiago has made her presence felt in the continent and earned a niche in the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) web site, featuring her in an article, entitled “Jaja Santiago: Standing Tall For My Country.”
The former National University standout was featured for her campaign with Saitama Ageo Medics that clinched bronze in the league, where she plays as an Asian import.
The article tackled the 24-year-old Santiago’s experience in the league.
“Ending the season with a podium finish in the Japan V.League was very fulfilling as an athlete,” Santiago told the FIVB. “All the hard work and sacrifices that my team Ageo Medics made were worth it in the end.”
“It was a quite an enriching journey for me. It included many challenges along the way, but it was a rewarding one to cap off my first two season as a professional athlete,” she said.
“In my second year it was easier to cope with all the difficult situations that I encountered. I became more comfortable, happy, well-focused in practice and I felt I had a better connection with all the players in the team. I learned a lot from my teammates and my coaches,” she added.
The FIVB feature showed Santiago’s photos she posted on her Instagram account.
Generika-Ayala’s new team captain Rhea Dimaculangan, meanwhile, ready to face the challenge with her revamped team.
The 28-year-old setter out of University of Santo Tomas has brought her acts to Generika this season in the Philippine Superliga (PSL) Grand Prix.
This time, she’s not only a playmaker, she’s the captain of the team.
Dimaculangan is a dependable player even before she turned professional. She led UST to its 16th—and last title in collegiate league in 2010—and has been plying her trade since then.
After she graduated, she joined the Philippine Air Force and was one of the team’s solid pillars that led to numerous Finals appearances. She crossed to Foton Tornadoes (now known as Chery Tiggo) in 2016.
With a star-studded lineup, Dimaculangan immediately made a huge impact and helped Foton to a runner-up finish in her first year. She did so by serving to power players Jaja Santiago, Sisi Rondina, EJ Laure, Patty Orendain and Angeli Araneta.
The Batangueña helped the Tornadoes to back-to-back titles in the Grand Prix then transferred to Petron where she won four PSL championships.
And now, Dimaculangan is set for another journey with a new team.
“This is a big challenge for me. But I think it will not be that hard because my teammates are there to help me,” Dimaculangan said. “I’m new to the team, but the pressure is not there because they put their trust on me and they constantly remind me that I was chosen because of my abilities.”
This is the first time that Dimaculangan is the captain of a team.