Who made Manilla Santos’ all-time DLSU lineup?

From a pool of La Salle Lady Spikers from different generations, four-time UAAP champion Manilla Santos-Ng picked her all-time De La Salle Lady Spikers dream team.

For the libero, Santos named Dawn Macandili without hesitation alongside Season 66’s best libero Sharmaine Peñano.  

Macandili bagged two best receiver awards, best digger distinction, and the Season 80 Finals MVP award during her time as a Lady Spiker. She was also hailed as the 2nd best libero in the 2017 AVC Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship.

Setters Chi Saet and Kim Fajardo also made it to Santos’ list.

“Ano sila eh… matalino, nagbabasa at inaaral talaga yung kalaban (They are smart and they really read and study the opponent’s play),” said the former La Salle star in a recent episode of Volleyball DNA hosted by Denden Lazaro and Anton Roxas on YouTube.

For the middle blockers, Santos picked Taft Towers Majoy Baron and Mika Reyes.

“Ang taas nilang tumalon, ang tatangkad nila, at maganda pa (They jump really high, they are tall, and they are also pretty),” the former UAAP champion said. 

Adding height to the roster are Kim Dy and Michelle Gumabao as they man the opposite position, while Ara Galang and Desiree Cheng will hit from the open as per Santos-Ng.

Green dominance

Santos was at the forefront of La Salle’s climb to the top before the Lady Spikers continued to dominate the UAAP volleyball scene in the last decade. 

When Santos propelled DLSU to its first three-peat starting in UAAP Season 66, it established the Taft-based squad as an immovable powerhouse.

Ten seasons later, the Lady Spikers even managed to pull off a three-peat twice – Seasons 73-75 and 78-80 – and also produced a number of champions, MVPs and national team standout in the likes of Aby Maraño, Macandili, and Baron.  

Santos, of course, has a spot on that elite list and it’s only fitting that DLSU retired the 5-foot-4 open’s jersey in 2009 after a stellar career highlighted by 4 championships, 3 best receiver awards and an MVP honor. 

But for Santos, the volleyball glory La Salle has achieved relies on the system built by one of the most revered figures in La Salle sports, coach Ramil De Jesus.  

“For me, the evolution of DLSU volleyball lies not only from the great players, but mainly because of the way coach Ramil adjusts and adapts on the current situation,” she said. – Jillian Velasco/Rappler.com