With Dindin Santiago-Manabat no longer with Chery Tiggo, Shaya Adorador and the rest of Crossovers will try to fill the huge void collectively in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
In their first game without the veteran opposite hitter, Chery Tiggo dominated Cignal 27-25, 25-19, 25-22, to open their campaign with a victory at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
“Syempre ate Dindin Santiago pa rin yun. Hinding hindi mo kayang palitan ‘yan. Kung sino lang po yung nandiyan, talagang nag-trabaho lang po kami as a team,” said Adorador, who scored a team-high 16 points along with 15 excellent digs and five excellent receptions.
Santiago-Manabat injured her ankle during the 2022 season which forced her to miss the entire Invitationals before coming back and playing sparingly in the season-ending Reinforced Conference.
She eventually left Chery Tiggo, her team for the past six years, and signed with Akari.
“Si ate Dindin [Santiago-Manabat] malaking part talaga siya loob ng court as a leader, as an ate mo. Ayun, syempre kailangan din natin [mag-focus] kung ano yung ngayon. Yun na lang yung tinitignan namin.
“Lahat po kami sa training talagang ginagawa lang namin yung part namin and talagang tinitignan namin kung saan kami mag-improve pa. Yung sa pwestuhan naman talagang coaches na yung magdedecide niyan and basta mag-laro lang kami as one. Yun lang yung goal namin and ayun, one game at a time talaga,” she added.
Adorador said that they will try to replicate their win against the HD Spikers when they take on Army-Black Mamba on Saturday, 4:00 PM at the same venue.
“Syempre babaunin lang namin yung mga magagandang ginawa namin and mageenjoy pa rin talaga. Every point talagang kailangan namin i-celebrate and one game at a time, talagang focus kami every game kung sino yung kalaban namin.”
