Creamline reaps rewards of Jaja Santiago’s presence

Creamline Cool Smashers’ Jaja Santiago-Minowa the during a game vs Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City in the PVL Invitational Conference. –PVL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Creamline showed a preview of how dangerous an 11-time champion club could be when a towering and international player, Jaja Santiago-Minowa, joined their winning culture after winning their first two games in the PVL Invitational Conference.

With Minowa leading the balanced attack, Cool Smashers proved too much for Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City in the third set, leading as many as 18-1 and wrapping up the frame in just 12 minutes en route to a 25-18, 25-16, 25-6 sweep on Tuesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

READ: PVL:Jaja Santiago says Creamline will get even better

Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses has been enjoying the addition of the 6-foot-5 middle blocker on his ‘not-so-tall’ team, which has been the most successful club in the decade-old league.

“Our team isn’t that big, so having Jaja in front is really intimidating for our opponents. Her presence alone makes it difficult when you’re playing against her,” said Meneses in Filipino. “With her leadership and experience, our defense becomes much easier when she’s at the net.”

But the eight-time PVL champion and 2025 Coach of the Year believes that the best is yet to come.

Jaja Santiago-Minowa and the Creamline Cool Smashers during a game vs Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City in the PVL Invitational Conference. –PVL PHOTO

“We’ve only played two games with Jaja, so there’s still a lot more we can improve and hopefully we can keep getting better until the end. Of course, we also need to stay healthy every game. Having Jaja definitely makes things easier for Creamline,” he said.

“We’ll help each other every game because we won’t get the championship right away just by having Jaja. We still have to stay focused and work hard for it. All of us, especially Jaja, really want to win the championship, but it won’t be easy. We’ll have to work hard for it.”

READ: PVL: Back in old stomping ground, Jaja Santiago shines for Creamline

Good thing for Meneses and the Cool Smashers, Minowa has been displaying not just her talent — honed in Japan since 2018 — but also her discipline, championship poise, and humility.

“We knew we had the lead, but we couldn’t afford to become complacent because Vietnam can fight back at any time. We kept reminding everyone to stay focused and continue working hard on every ball,” said Minowa in Filipino.

“I think that’s the most important thing. No matter how big your lead is, or even if the opponent is ahead, we need to stay composed and focus on what we need to do.”

With four more days remaining in her limited time with Creamline before playing in the US next year, Minowa will continue to make the most out of her PVL homecoming.

“For the first two games, my mindset has always been to contribute to the team, especially in attack and blocking. Whatever I can share with them—my experience, leadership and communication—I try to give consistently,” Minowa said.

“It’s not difficult because they’re doing the same thing. They’re also sharing their thoughts and experiences with me. Our connection and communication have been smooth so far.”