Jasmine Nabor (No. 4) leads a Chery Tiggo celebration. —PVL IMAGES
It’s been four years since Jaja Santiago last played in the PVL and led Chery Tiggo to the first professional volleyball championship country when the league played in a bubble in 2021 in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.
But the 6-foot-5 middle blocker, now an SV.League champion in Japan, continues to inspire the Crossovers, cheering for them at courtside in her home province of Cavite as former teammates regained their winning ways with a 25-23, 25-22, 25-21 sweep of Galeries Tower to advance to the On Tour quarterfinals on Saturday at Dasmariñas Arena.
Setter Jasmine Nabor, who dished out 18 excellent sets to feed go-to scorers Ara Galang and Cess Robles, said Santiago may have been shining bright in Japan for the past three years, but she continues to share her knowledge from the international stage.
“It’s like she never really left us,” Nabor told the Inquirer in Filipino. “No matter where she goes, her guidance and support are still there.
“There are times when she calls us to give us tips or share what she’s learning abroad, she teaches us those things too,” Nabor went on. “It’s really inspiring. And we’re just so happy that she’s still there for us.”
Santiago hosted dinner for the Crossovers at her residence to celebrate their victory.
Nabor posted an appreciation photo of Santiago, who has been a close teammate since she joined National University in high school, until they teamed up in college and eventually won a championship in the pros.
Santiago is now a Japanese citizen, married to Japanese coach Taka Minowa, and uses the name Sachi Minowa in the SV.League, where she won multiple awards and a Division 1 title with Osaka Marvelous.
But Nabor assures that it’s the same down-to-earth Jaja, who has been her close friend since she went to Manila to start her volleyball career.
“One thing’s for sure, she’s still the same person, 101 percent. She never forgot about us,” said the veteran setter.
“When I first came to NU, I was super quiet. I liked being alone. But when I joined NU, that’s one of the things she helped change in me,” Nabor said.
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“She let me experience what she went through in Manila, and she really guided me. Honestly, she was like a mom to me,” she went on. “And even now. We still talk through chat or video calls, especially when I’m overwhelmed. Sometimes, she’s really the one I run to.” INQ
