PVL: Dindin Santiago-Manabat hopes to guide her younger teammates at Akari

MANILA, Philippines – Akari has three-time Olympian Prisilla Rivera of the Dominican Republic as she parades young players in her debut tournament in the Premier Volleyball League’s Reinforced Conference last year.

From having Mama Pris on the side, the Chargers will now bank on a new leader in Dindin Santiago-Manabat, who decided to start anew with a young squad before the PVL All-Filipino Conference 2023.

The star winger is used to having veteran teammates with former club Chery Tiggo like Mylene Paat. But playing in a new and younger team adds to the excitement for ‘Mama D’ to lead her teammates like Trisha Genesis, Lycha Ebon, Michelle Cobb, Jaja Maraguinot, Erika Raagas, and Dani Ravena.

“I’m going to be more of a mom and eat [to my teammates],” Manabat said in Filipino. “Gendhis called me Mama D because he used to call me [Pris Rivera] as Mama Pri. So they called me Mama D because I was going to be the team’s new mom.

Playing for a new team for the first time in six years, Manabat, 29, said his game remains the same but expects he will be more patient in leading his younger teammates.

“Mama D is aggressive. There’s nothing new about fighting, it’s more about smiling. I hope I can change the sparkle, there are many kids among my friends so I feel that Mama D is smiling more now,” said the multi-awarded speaker , who brings experience from the international league when he played in the Japan V. .League for Toray Arrows in 2018 and Kurobe AquaFairies in 2019 as well as with Nakhon Ratchasima in the Thai Volleyball League early in 2022.

[They will see the same fighter Mama D. But I’ll try my best to avoid frowning [during the game]. I will smile more for my younger friends.]

After several training sessions and signing a contract last week, the 6-foot-2 spiker has already felt at home with the Chargers who have given him a warm welcome and treated him like family.

“My younger teammates like to be with me. I feel like I don’t feel pressured to play with them and I also learn a lot of new things from them, especially the experience with Mama Pris,” said Manabat. “They are easy to get along with. He has a lot of energy even after training. Our communication is there. And communication is key for us [this season].”

Manabat also reunited with Philippine women’s volleyball team coach Jorge Souza de Brito after playing under him at the 2021 AVC Asian Women’s Club Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima.

“I still don’t know if I’ll play opposite or open. But I’m ready for whatever position Coach Jorge wants,” he said.

“It’s not hard to play under coach Jorge. He’s approachable and he always makes sure his players are all healthy like ‘How are you?’ He keeps reminding us to tell him right away if we’re sick. He’s really concerned about health. He’s straight with everyone.”

Last season, the former stalwart of the National University led the way for Crossovers in the Open Conference last year, but he suffered an ankle injury, lost all Invitations and played sparingly in the Reinforced Conference, where he also entered the health and safety protocol that caused it. he missed a few games.

Manabat does not want to speculate on his recovery because he wants the game to be able to say that he makes his debut as Akari Charger in the 2023 All-Filipino Conference, which opens on February 4.

“I’m not going to say that I’m 100 percent [healthy] because I want my game to answer that question. Let’s wait for the season to start and you will be the judge if I have fully recovered, 80 or 70 percent,” he said. “I don’t want to push myself and set expectations.”

The veteran spiker is just about to play for his new team, which finished eighth in its first PVL tournament, winning three of its eight matches last year, including Rivera’s record 44 points against Choco Mucho in five sets and an astonishing four sets. which ruined F2 Logistics’ semi-final bid.

RELATED STORY

Get the hottest sports news straight to your inbox

Read Next

For suggestions, complaints, or questions, please contact us.