She's Miss Everywhere for a reason.
Dawn Macandili-Catindig has been eating pancakes for breakfast as a veteran libero, making dives and saves everywhere for the De La Salle Lady Spikers, the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers, Alas Pilipinas, and the Cignal HD Spikers.
On Saturday, October 19, she answered fans' questions on Reddit's Ask Me Anything via the r/SportsPH sub.
She had very useful tips for liberos.
Here are some of her answers on Reddit, while speaking to the camera via Facebook Live.
Ask Me Anything: Dawn Macandili-Catindig of Cignal HD Spikers
byu/OneSportsPHL inSportsPH
Hi Dawn, can you give out tips on being a better left back defender?
Break down movements into separate drills then eventually piece them together. For example, focusing separately on footwork, form, and control. So that you don't get overwhelmed :) Good luck!
"Left back means sa likod ng court and sa area ng zone 5," Dawn added via FB Live.
"For me pagka there's something that I want to keep working on, it's more of identifying ano 'yung mga drills na makakatulong sa 'yo and actually repetition din 'yun eh. I-break down mo siya into smaller details," she added.
"Kunwari footwork muna, bilisan mo 'yung footwork. Then you focus on your form. Eventually 'pag brineak down mo 'yung details, ipag-pi-peace mo into one. Mas mapapadali, kasi minsan na-overwhelm tayo if we focus on everything at once."
Hello Dawn! What lesson have you learned from your Alas stint?
From all the years of playing in the NT, you grow through experiene. So just put yourself out there and keep trying :)
"For me, for the past since 2017 na naglalaro ako sa national team, sobrang dami kong natutunan," Macandili-Catindig said via FB Live.
"Pinakatumatak sa 'kin is through experience talaga, you grow and tuloy-tuloy mo lang. Put yourself out there."
"Don't be afraid to fail, kasi dun ka talaga matututo. Just always try your best."
Hi, Miss Dawn.
I'm not a big volleyball fan, pero nag-enjoy ako panuorin mga games at highlights ninyo during your Alas Pilipinas games.
Just curious, how did you overcome the fear of receiving high speed ball spikes with your bare hands?
Pag ini-imagine ko kasi sarili ko in your position, mapapapikit siguro ako sa takot especially when the spikes sound like gunshots haha
I start training my eye contact on the ball from slow to fast :)
Hi Dawn! ?? How do you deal with slumps/low periods in your performance? And would you have anything to say to fellow liberos who want to be better in volleyball? Much love and thanks so much for doing this! 🙏
Feel your feelings and then accept the situation and focus on how to improve on it next time :)
Which is more satisfying: receiving a good serve or digging a hard spike?
Digging a hard spike :)
She also got remembered experiences with coach Ramil de Jesus with DLSU.
Hi Dawn! Anong most memorable moment/experience mo sa DLSU Lady Spikers? Gaano ka-strict si coach RDJ? Hehe :)
Most memorable experience ko is yung championships and syempre the hard work we did to achieve it :D Syempre thankful rin sa pagiging strict ni coach because we are not who we are kung di dahil sa kanya
Anong feeling maging libero sa team na kasama si Ara Galang? 🥺
Super bait, super galing and hard working!!!
"Ate Ara talaga is one of the greatest players I've played with. Sobrang all-around niya and sobrang bait pa," Dawn gushed. "Ang ganda ng work ethic niya, sobrang gaan lang din ng trabaho ko inside the court kapag kasama ko siya."
If you can play a volleyball position for a day other than libero, what would it be and why?
Open spiker kasi sa training palong-palo ako :)
There were also light moments Dawn was willing to participate in.
Help homework.
1+1=?
2 =)))
"Hala ba't may help homework?" She asked, laughing. "Volleyball player po ako. Pero buti na lang 1+1 lang 'yung tanong. Masasagot ko 'to!"
Bukod sa puto, ano paborito nyo pong kakanin?
PANCAKE <3
"Siguro kung related sa volleyball, syempre 'yung pancake," she said. "'Yun 'yung madalas kong favorite saves."
If you had to play a sport other than volleyball, which sport would you play?
Tennis hehe
"I played tennis for a while sa isang summer in my younger years," Dawn recounted. "Nag-tennis camp kami and nagustuhan ko siya. Pero dahil mas love ko ang volleyball, pinagpatuloy ko na rin 'yun."
By the end, the married Dawn Macandili-Catindig answered a question regarding the moment she would call time on her career.
How many more years mo pa plan to keep playing volleyball?
After your volleyball career, ano plan mo gawin? :)
I'm open to all possibilities and I trust God's plan <3
"Naiisip-isip ko na rin 'yang post-career ko, when I'm gonna stop," she mused. "Looking at other international players na nagka-baby na, they really worked hard to go back and play."
"Parang dumadami pa rin 'yung options ko. If ever magka-family ako, I can still go back to playing," she said. "I'm just focusing kung an nasa harap ko ngayon. If ibigay ni Lord, syempre tatanggapin ko."
Looks like we'll be seeing Dawn do pancake saves for more years to come.