PVL: Dindin Santiago-Manabat relishes first game vs ex-team Chery Tiggo

Dindin Santiago-Manabat. PVL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Dindin Santiago-Manabat enjoyed her first encounter with Chery Tiggo in the Premier Volleyball League.

Coincidentally, it was Santiago-Manabat who powered her new team Akari against her former squad with 26 points built on 24 successful spikes.

“It was fun because it had been a while since we all came together but this time, not as teammates but as opponents. It made me nervous and overwhelmed because it’s been a while since I saw them,” Santiago-Manabat said after Akari’s 16-25, 25-22, 19-25, 25-21, 15-11 win.

Santiago-Manabat joined Akari last January after suiting up for Chery Tiggo for six years.

Santiago-Manabat was instrumental in the squad’s 2021 PVL Open Conference championship run. She even played for the organization when it was still under the “Foton” name back in 2016.

It was an emotional win for Santiago-Manabat, who still feels she’s part of the Chery Tiggo squad.

“Sa utak ko, parang nando’n pa ‘ko sa kanila (In my mind, I feel I’m still part of them).”

But make no mistake, Santiago-Manabat has fully embraced the system of coach Jorge Souza de Brito and her role as the team’s veteran leader.

“We just enjoyed the game and once I enjoyed it, they enjoyed. When they know I want to fight, they’d fight with me. We wanted to win, like we always do and earlier they were listening [to me].,” she said.

“Every time we make mistakes, we erase it in our minds to get those points back.” 

Akari, which holds a 2-4 record, looks to bolster its playoff bid when it faces Petro Gazz at Philsports Arena on Tuesday.