FILE–Dindin Santiago Manabat is now with Choco Mucho Flying Titans in the PVL. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Dindin Santiago-Manabat is taking her act to Choco Mucho after her release from Akari ahead of the PVL Reinforced Conference in July.
Multiple sources on Thursday bared to Inquirer Sports that the Flying Titans have acquired Manabat after her switch from Akari to Nxled didn’t push through.
The source, who requested anonymity, didn’t divulge why Manabat requested a release.
READ: PVL: Dindin Manabat all praise for coach, bro-in-law Taka Minowa
Manabat, along with Bang Pineda, Trisha Genesis, and Jaja Maraguinot as well as Roselle Baliton, who is now signed with Galeries Tower, were sent to Nxled, while Akari received Ivy Lacsina, Kamille Cal, Cams Victoria, and Dani Ravena a month ago.
In an attempt to fill in each other’s needs, the sister teams also switched coaches with Taka Minowa now handling the Chargers
After Manabat’s release request was granted, she found her new home at Choco Mucho which will miss former MVP Sisi Rondina and middle blocker Cherry Nunag due to their duties with Alas Pilipinas.
The 30-year-old wing spiker is already training with the Flying Titans, who settled for back-to-back runner-up finishes in the past two All-Filipino Conferences.
Manabat, who has experience playing in Japan and Thailand, has joined her third PVL team as her stay with Akari lasted for more than a year since signing in 2023, ending her seven-year stay with Chery Tiggo, which she led to a breakthrough pro championship in the 2021 bubble with her sister Jaja Santiago.
READ: PVL: Choco Mucho, Alinsunurin hope to overcome stars’ absence
Inquirer sought Akari team manager Mozzy Ravena and Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin for comments but both have yet to respond as of posting time.
In the Collegiate Press Corps awards on Monday evening, Alinsunurin bared the team was eyeing free agents and rookies to fill in the void left by Rondina and Nunag and as Des Cheng and Kat Tolentino continue to recover, but he didn’t disclose names.
Manabat, a former National University star, was the top 11 scorer in the All-Filipino Conference with a total of 112 points as the Chargers couldn’t make it to the semifinals for the past in her four-conference stay but they improved to seventh place in the past two tournaments.
Akari, which hasn’t released a statement about its trade, already played an exhibition game with their new players Lacsina and Cal and returnees Victoria and Ravena. Nxled will bank on Pineda, Genesis, Lycha Ebon, Chiara Permentilla, Jho Maraguinot, and her sister Jaja.
Nxled holds the fifth pick, followed by Akari, while Choco Mucho will select second to the last from the 47 rookie aspirants, who will have a two-day Draft Combine from June 25 to 26 at Gameville Ballpark in Sheridan, Mandaluyong.