No doubt that Creamline is team to beat as Invitational Conference fires off

Jaja Santiago (center) is the player to watch for Creamline. —PVL IMAGES

Jaja Santiago-Minowa’s homecoming isn’t just a big hurdle to the title hopes of the three other PVL teams, as she boosts her former rival and 11-time champion Creamline in the Invitational Conference starting on Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The 6-foot-5 middle blocker’s brief stint is a big blessing for the PVL players, as she showcases her talent honed in Japan for years, giving a preview of what she can do in the United States for League One Volleyball next year.

Myla Pablo and the Nxled Chameleons will be the first ones to test the mettle of Minowa in her official comeback—and debut as a Cool Smasher—at 4 p.m.

Defending champion PLDT raises the curtains on the week-long conference against Thailand’s EST Cola at 1:30 p.m., while Farm Fresh caps the day against Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam at 6:30 p.m.

Pablo, who played with Minowa in the UAAP with National University, would be honored to compete against her former college teammate.

“We’re excited that she’ll be playing in the Invitational. It’s also a great opportunity for us to play against her and learn from her,” Pablo told the Inquirer in Filipino. “It’s an honor to face Jaja in the PVL, especially because of her experience and everything she has accomplished.

“After the Invitational, she’ll be leaving again, so this is really a good opportunity for the teams and the middle blockers to experience playing against her and learning from her.”

Pablo, a two-time league MVP, admitted that Creamline is already hard to stop as it is, and Minowa’s addition makes the most successful team even more formidable.

“We’ve played against Creamline many times, and now Jaja is joining them, so we really have to study how they’ll play in the Invitational,” Pablo went on. “During our first game, everyone got to play, but you could still see that we weren’t completely connected yet, especially with our setters.

“They’ve been together for a long time, so they already know how to move and play with each other,” she continued. “And now they have Jaja, who brings another level of height and experience.”

The Chameleons will be missing three-time MVP Brooke Van Sickle, as coach Ettore Guidetti will also rely on two-time Finals MVP MJ Phillips, Gel Cayuna, Jackie Acuña, EJ Laure-Cariño, and Jonah Sabete-Escamillan. INQ