Pairs of Sisters Who Graced Collegiate Women's Volleyball

If there's one common trend that we've been seeing in the women's volleyball scene in the Philippines, there's always a pair of sisters playing in the field and in fact, these pairs of sisters have become the faces of their respective teams whether it's in the collegiate level or in the professional leagues such as the Philippine SuperLiga (PSL). And yes, some of them even played internationally.

While this specific pair of volleyball-spiking sisters have been known as two of the famous volleyball stars of today: Jaja Santiago and Dindin Santiago-Manabat. Known as the pillars of the National University (NU) women's volleyball program in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), Jaja and Dindin initially started their collegiate careers with the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses before jumping to the Lady Bulldogs' side. And while both didn't win a championship with NU, the sisters garnered awards in their NU stint. In Season 76 of the UAAP, Santiago-Manabat won the Best Attacker plum while Jaja won the same plum for three years in a row from Season 77 to Season 79. Jaja Santiago also won the Rookie of the Year award in Season 76 plus the Most Valuable Player award in Season 80 among other awards. In the PSL, both Santiago sisters achieved success as they continued to stack up awards with Jaja winning the MVP award in the 2016 PSL Grand Prix and with Dindin earning three awards including the Best Opposite Spiker for the 2019 PSL All-Filipino Conference. 

Unfortunately, the Santiago sisters weren't able to suit up for the national team in last year's Southeast Asian Games here in the Philippines owing to the fact that they were playing overseas but pundits believe that's they were allowed to suit up for the national team, things would have been different.
However, the Santiagos aren't the only known pair of sisters in the women's volleyball scene. In fact, UST also served as a home to this pair: the Laures in EJ and Eya, daughters of former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) player, Eddie Laure.

And while both failed to win it all in their collegiate careers, they made UST relevant anew as EJ, along with Sisi Rondina beat the mighty De La Salle Lady Spikers for their second straight championship in the University Games back in 2017.  Ej won the Rookie of the Year in Season 77 of the UAAP after a decorated high school career. In the PSL while suiting for Foton Tornadoes, she helped Foton win the gold medal in the 2016 PSL Grand Prix while also winning the First Best Opposite Spike for the 2017 PSL All-Filipino Conference. Eya, who also won the Rookie of the Year award in Season 81, will be among the UST players to look forward to in Season 83 as they look to outdo what the Rondina-led UST side of Season 81 achieved. It will also Eya's case that she already played for the national team in last year's SEA Games.

And sisters playing together isn't just a thing in the UAAP alone. In the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), sisters playing together have become a thing too. Twins in fact.

For the fans of the San Beda University Lady Red Spikers, the pair of twins in Jiezela and Nieza Viray was the reason why they were successful in the beach volleyball tournament particularly in Season 93 when they swept the nine-match eliminations on their way to the championship that season. Jiezela won the MVP award that season as well as the Rookie of the Year award in Season 91.  

Other pairs of sisters who played in the collegiate level of the women's volleyball include Kim and Candice Gecqulana who played for Ateneo, Therese and Ponggay Gaston who also played for Ateneo, Desiree and Djanel Cheng who both wore green with Des being with La Salle and with Djanel being with College of Saint Benilde, Myla and Marites Pablo who both played for NU before Marites transferred to the NCAA with College of Saint Benilde, among others.  

If anything, seeing pairs of sisters gracing collegiate volleyball and later on, professional volleyball, is living proof that interest in volleyball is growing and that, it's continuing to grow by the pair. 

Photo is from Volleyverse