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No regrets for Jaja in choosing NU over other ‘opportunities’ abroad

By Anton Onato

Jaja Santiago is by far one of the best volleybelles the country has produced in recent
years.

As proof to her greatness, Jaja was invited to play for several club teams abroad
including a stint with Bangkok Glass in Thailand next year.

Five years before this Thailand stint offer, prior to Jaja’s collegiate career, she, a then
lanky and raw talent from the high school ranks, received a similar offer: to try out for a
spot with the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) women’s volleyball team. No
less than UCLA assistant coach Joy McKenzie-Fuerbringer, a Filipino-American, made
the offer.

Then naïve of what could happen to her had she accepted the UCLA offer, Jaja declined;
the same thing she did with the Bangkok Glass offer.

Reason? She wanted to play for the National University in the college ranks. With all
these opportunities that came pass her, Jaja regrets nothing about her choices.

After their semi-finals straight-set loss against De La Salle University Lady Spikers
today, Jaja said that her previous decisions in fact did wonders for her.

“Actually, when I declined all those offers it still prepared me for more opportunities in
the future,” she said.

More than this, what is important to her is that her teammates showed her that it was a
right decision to stay.

In her five years stay with the Lady Bulldogs, Jaja did not win any championship. Her
best finish was a bronze medal in Season 77, the same time her older sister Dindin last
donned the blue and white jersey.

But despite this painful ordeal, Jaja remained positive, saying her five years stay had
been fruitful sans the championship title.

“Although it’s painful not to win any championship, I am somehow happy because I
learned a lot from the team and my teammates,” she quipped, holding back her tears.

She added: “We’ve come a long way. Most of my teammates now were my teammates in
high school. While we did not achieve our goals, I’m still happy.”
Jaja finished the season second in scoring (280 points) with a 41.67% efficiency in
spiking, enough to make her number one in that department. She is also number two in
blocking with 0.68 kill blocks per set.
Jaja might have declined the offer to play in the American collegiate league, yet just as
positive as her demeanor is, she has nothing but gratitude for the team she chose ---
National University.

While she fell short this year, Jaja knows NU will come back stronger next season. In
her words: “I know they can win the championship.”