VICTORIAS CITY, Negros Occidental — Jaja Santiago-Minowa marked her long-awaited Premier Volleyball League comeback with an immediate impact as Creamline swept Galeries Tower before more than 7,000 fans in a rousing finale to the PVL On Tour at the Victorias City Coliseum.
Making her first official PVL appearance in five years, the 6-foot-4 middle blocker reinforced a Creamline side led by veteran star Alyssa Valdez as the Cool Smashers completed a straight-set victory over the Highrisers.
Santiago-Minowa’s return provided the biggest attraction in the final stop of the tour, which drew thousands of volleyball fans to the sugar capital of Negros Occidental for a star-studded two-game program.
Valdez helped power Creamline past Galeries Tower, while Ara Galang spearheaded Farm Fresh to victory over Capital1 in the curtain-raiser.
The matches also gave Negrense players Erika Deloria of Galeries Tower and Alyssa Bertolano of Farm Fresh an opportunity to compete before their hometown crowd.
The turnout underscored the strong following of women’s volleyball in Negros Occidental, with more than 7,000 spectators packing the Victorias City Coliseum for the tour’s closing stop.
The event was staged by GRID Sports Athletic in partnership with the Victorias City government and with the support of Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Javi Benitez.
GRID Sports Athletic president Bea Tan, a Victorias City native, said bringing the country’s premier women’s volleyball league to the province fulfilled a long-held goal of making high-level competition more accessible to local communities.
“Bringing the PVL home is deeply personal to me. Since 2017, GRID Sports Athletic has worked to bring high-level volleyball closer to communities across Negros,” Tan said.
Tan said the huge turnout also demonstrated Negros Occidental’s appetite for major sporting events and showed how sports could generate excitement and benefits for local communities.
The tour stop allowed local volleyball enthusiasts to watch some of the country’s biggest stars up close while giving aspiring athletes an opportunity to see established players compete on their home court.
The festivities continued after the matches with an entertainment program featuring singer Gigi De Lana./PN
