JAJA Santiago-Minowa hopes her brief stint with the Creamline Cool Smashers will eventually lead to another opportunity to play for the club after gaining a deeper appreciation for the team’s culture during the 2026 PVL Invitational Conference.
Santiago-Minowa joined Creamline for the week-long Invitational Conference and, despite her limited stint, the middle blocker said she felt welcomed by the team and valued the time she spent getting to know her teammates.
“I’m always grateful to be with them and I really feel loved by the team and how they support me,” Santiago-Minowa said in an interview with Abante Sports’ Jonas Lavarias.
She also praised the Cool Smashers for creating an environment where players openly share their thoughts about volleyball and make time to bond away from the court.
“I’m really lucky to play with them and I’m always grateful to have them as my teammates and as my team,” she added.
With Santiago-Minowa set to head to the United States, she admitted that the camaraderie she experienced with Creamline is what she will miss most about her time in the Philippines.
“I think the good vibes and how they help me, how they encourage me on the times that you feel down, you feel like you’re not on your 100 percent. They’re always like, ‘It’s okay, you’re doing your best, you’re doing good,’” she said.
“I think that’s the thing that I will miss the most, the team and how happy and connected we are,” Santiago-Minowa added.
Although her stint with Creamline is only limited, Santiago-Minowa remains open to returning to the team in the future.
“I’m really looking forward to playing with them again because they’re one of the reasons why I want to play again with Creamline. Actually, it’s everyone,” she said.
“I really want to play with the team, I really want to know what the culture is, and I really want to know how everyone is inside the team. I think if I’m given a chance to play again, I’m really looking forward to playing with them,” she added.
Creamline finished fourth in the Invitational after missing out on the championship match and later losing to PLDT in the bronze-medal game. (Adrian Co)
