MANILA, Philippines, September 3 ------ Choco Mucho stalwart Maddie Madayag embarks on a new journey in Japan, signing with the Kurobe Aqua Fairies of the Japan SV League, the teams announced on Monday, September 2.
Madayag, the Flying Titans’ team captain, will play for her second professional team since graduating from the Ateneo Blue Eagles in 2019. “Join us in sending our captain, Maddie Madayag, all the best as she takes on Japan with the Kurobe Aqua Fairies!” Choco Mucho said in its Instagram post. “We’re incredibly proud of you, Maddie, for seizing this amazing opportunity in your career. Your Choco Mucho Flying Titans fam is with you every step of the way. We can’t wait to welcome you back stronger than ever!”
Madayag becomes the third Filipina to play in the Japanese volleyball circuit, following Alas Pilipinas skipper Jia de Guzman (Denso AiryBees) and Jaja Santiago (JT Marvelous). Santiago recently obtained Japanese citizenship and is now going by the name of Sachi Minowa, as she looks to fulfill her lifelong dream of playing in the Summer Olympics.
Missing key players Sisi Rondina and Cherry Nunag due to national team commitments, the Flying Titans stumbled in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference standings, ending up ninth out of 12 teams with a 2-6 record, just months after settling for their second straight All-Filipino runner-up finish.
In Japan, Madayag also looks to improve the fortunes of Kurobe after the team tallied a 4-18 record in the previous season of the SV League. The regular season is set to be played from October through April.
Source: rappler.com
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