Filipina volleyball stars Sachi Minowa (formerly Jaja Santiago) and Maddie Madayag have finally met in the Land of the Rising Sun, when the Osaka Marvelous and Kurobe Aqua Fairies faced off in the Japan SV League.
It's a small world, indeed, particularly in the volleyball world.
And it rings true for Sachi Minowa (formerly Jaja Santiago) and Maddie Madayag as they crossed paths on the court in Japan, each representing their teams in the prestigious league.
Sachi's team, the Osaka Marvelous, and Maddie's squad, the Kurobe Aqua Fairies, clashed in two thrilling matches on November 23 and 24.
In a dramatic five-set showdown, Sachi and Osaka pulled off a hard-fought victory, 20-25, 25-23, 25-19, 26-28, 15-13.
The following day, the Osaka Marvelous repeated their success, securing a 3-1 win with scores of 25-27, 25-17, 27-25, and 25-23.
Maddie shared a heartwarming moment on Instagram, revealing that she finally got to meet Sachi during their game days.
“So so so nice to see a familiar face, @alyjasantiago3,” Maddie wrote on Instagram.
Maddie’s transfer to Japan for the 2024-25 SV League season was confirmed in early September, making her the third homegrown Filipina to play in the league, alongside Jia De Guzman of the Denso Airybees and Sachi Minowa of the Osaka Marvelous.
RELATED: Maddie Madayag to Japan's SV.League as she transfers from Choco Mucho to Kurobe Aqua Fairies
New Chapter: Maddie Madayag heads to Japan for the Kurobe Aqua Fairies
Photo (c) Instagram | @maddie7madayag