Jaja Santiago-Minowa and Creamline during a game against PLDT in the PVL Invitational Conference.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Jaja Santiago-Minowa felt a tinge of regret after missing the chance to win a championship for Creamline in her limited time in the PVL Invitational Conference.

Even Minowa’s huge addition wasn’t enough to lift Creamline in a 25-17, 23-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-12 loss to PLDT that ended their title bid on Sunday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

READ: PVL: PLDT denies Creamline, sends Nxled to first-ever finals

Jaja Santiago-Minowa after a heartbreaking loss. #PVL2026 @inquirersports pic.twitter.com/vmDXDgKIDl

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) September 6, 2026

Creamline’s loss was Nxled’s gain, as the Chameleons advanced to the final through the FIVB point-system tiebreak with 10 points, ahead of Creamline’s nine and PLDT’s eight.

“We were really aiming for the championship. I’m really sad and I feel bad that I wasn’t able to give that to them during the short time that I’ve been here,” said Minowa in Filipino after firing 25 points, highlighted by nine kill blocks.

“But I’m going to work harder on Tuesday, no matter what happens. At least, we can still fight for a podium finish.”

Creamline missed the Invitational final for the second straight year after ending the preliminary round with back-to-back losses.

But the 6-foot-5 middle blocker still wants to finish strong and bring home the bronze against PLDT also on Tuesday.

“It was definitely a tough loss. I think everyone gave their best, but we just came up short in the end. Maybe the short preparation for everything we’ve been facing also played a part. There are still a lot of things we need to improve as a team,” said Minowa.

READ: Creamline reaps rewards of Jaja Santiago’s presence

Jaja Santiago-Minowa vows to bounce back in the battle for bronze. #PVL2026 @inquirersports pic.twitter.com/lg3zA6apLH

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) September 6, 2026

“But like I said earlier, the fight isn’t over yet. We still have a game on Tuesday. It’s not the finals and it’s not for the gold, but we can change our mindset and treat it like a Finals game. If we win, we’ll still get a medal. It may not be gold, but a win is still a win. So we really need to work hard for Tuesday. It’s a must-win for us.”

Despite the heartbreaking loss, Minowa praised PLDT star Savi Davison, who erupted for a new career-high 37 points in their first-ever duel.

“She jumps really high and attacks at a high point. She’s difficult to block because of how high she contacts the ball, and she also hangs in the air for a long time,” said Minowa, who is set to play in the League One Volleyball in the United States starting in January.

“It’s also difficult to defend her, especially when she gets a good set. But I’m really lucky that I got the chance to play against her. It’s a good challenge because there are a lot of talented players like Savi that we can face, and it’s a good learning experience for me.”

Kimi Antonelli has managed to win the Italian Grand Prix against all odds after starting the race from P19 thanks to an engine penalty that dropped him toward the back of the grid. In doing so, the young Italian has achieved quite a few feats, so let’s take a look at some of them.

Antonelli managed to overtake Mercedes teammate George Russell in the very final stages of the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, as he secured his seventh victory of the 2026 F1 season. In doing so, he has also extended his lead at the top of the drivers’ standings to 66 points over the Briton.

With his brilliant home victory, Kimi Antonelli has achieved some incredible feats, as the 20-year-old made history at Monza. So let’s take a look at what Antonelli achieved on Sunday.

5 feats Kimi Antonelli achieved with his Italian Grand Prix victory

Youngest ever Italian Grand Prix winner

Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest ever Italian Grand Prix winner, doing so just 12 days after his 20th birthday. Before him, this record was held by Sebastian Vettel, who won the race in 2008 to become the youngest ever F1 race winner at the time.

Third driver in F1 history to win from P19 or lower

Antonelli became only the third driver in F1 history to win a Grand Prix from P19 or lower on the grid. In fact, only John Watson, who won the 1983 Long Beach GP from P22, has won a race from further back than Antonelli.

The 20-year-old equaled Bill Vukovich’s record, who won the 1954 Indy 500 from P19 as well, when the iconic race was part of the F1 championship.

First Italian in 60 years to win the Italian Grand Prix

Kimi Antonelli became the first Italian driver to win the Italian Grand Prix in 60 years with his win on Sunday. The previous man from the country to win his home race was Ludovico Scarfiotti, who did so in 1966 driving for Ferrari.

Youngest driver to win seven F1 races

The victory at Monza was Antonelli’s seventh career win, making him the youngest ever F1 driver to get to that number. He is also the youngest driver ever to win seven races in a single season, and the Mercedes driver does not look to be in the mood to stop at that number this year.

Only the fourth Italian driver ever to win the Italian Grand Prix

Antonelli also joined an exclusive list with his win at Monza, becoming only the fourth Italian driver ever to win the Italian Grand Prix. This list includes Giuseppe Farina, who won the race in 1950 driving for Alfa Romeo, Alberto Ascari, who won in 1951 and 1952 with Ferrari, and as already mentioned, Ludovico Scarfiotti, who also won for Ferrari.

Interestingly, Antonelli is therefore the first Italian to win at Monza with a foreign team in Mercedes. He is also the first Italian to win the race in the 21st century.