Jaja Santiago still with Chery Tiggo but availability remains uncertain

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Chery Tiggo star Jaja Santiago bagged another award on top of the PVL title.

FILE – Jaja Santiago from Chery Tiggo. PVL MEDIA

MANILA, Philippines – Jaja Santiago remains part of Chery Tiggo’s lineup for the 2023 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference but his availability depends on the fate of Saitama Ageo Medics in Japan’s V League.

Chery Tiggo coach Aaron Velez said the 6-foot-5 center blocker is still registered for the first conference and could play after completing the 2022-23 V.League.

“He is still in our lineup. We are talking about if his schedule is right and if his work in the V.League ends early, then he can play for us,” Velez said in Filipino.

The V-League regular season will end on March 26 with the Final Four set for April. Ageo Medics is currently in fifth place with an 11-5 record.

The All-Filipino PVL, on the other hand, will have preliminary rounds from February 4 to March 16 with the semifinals starting on March 18, while the best-of-three Finals series is scheduled for March 25, 29, and if necessary, March 30.

The National University standout can play in the Invitationals, the league’s second conference which is set in June during the V.League’s offseason. The Reinforced Conference is scheduled for October but if Santiago returns to Japan, he will not be available for Chery Tiggo as the 2023-24 season in Japan will open in the same month.

“If Jaja comes in, he will be a super plus for our team. We will have a strong foundation and anchor,” Velez said.

Velez upset the team’s expectations of Santiago’s return as his goal was to only use the team’s current composition—something he was unable to do in last year’s Open Conference, where the HD Spikers finished in eighth place.

“Starting from 2022 [Open Conference], we expect him to play for us. So I think that’s one thing we need [temper] our hope,” he said.

Velez will continue to rely on excellent middle blockers Cza Carandang and Roselle Baliton, as well as new recruit Seth Rodriguez from Petro Gazz, while Mylene Paat will lead the way as captain and scorer.

Santiago did not play in the Crossovers last season, after a dominant PVL 2021 bubble campaign in Ilocos Norte where he won the conference and Finals MVP and led the team to its first professional championship.

Her only stint in the Philippines was when the women’s national volleyball team finished fourth in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Jaja’s younger brother, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, has parted ways with Chery Tiggo after six years, looking for a fresh start with Akari this season.