When Dawn Macandili-Catindig needed a new team for the second time in her career, she went with the organization she already knew.
The 30-year-old libero signed with the Choco Mucho Flying Titans after leaving the now-defunct Cignal Super Spikers, having earlier had to move on when F2 Logistics disbanded. She knew the Rebisco management that runs the Flying Titans from her years with Alas Pilipinas, and she said the way they look after their players made the decision easy.
“Siguro choosing Choco Mucho as my team after Cignal, pinili ko talaga ’yung alagang Rebisco,” said Catindig.
“Kasi na-experience ko na rin sa national team, lagi silang nandoon from the start, ever since I started with the national team. So alam kong hindi nila kami pababayaan, so ayun, very happy naman ako na napunta ako sa Choco and I’m very happy with my teammates, coaches, ’yung sistema. Very happy ako,” she added.
So far, the move is working out. The former PVL Best Libero had 16 excellent digs in Choco Mucho’s five-set comeback against the Capital1 Solar Spikers to open the 2026–27 PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series. She followed it up with 14 more as the Flying Titans swept ZUS Coffee at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, giving them a 2-0 start in the Siklab Series.
“Sobrang happy ako kasi may connection na ako with the team and sana tuloy-tuloy ’yung pag-gel namin,” said Macandili-Catindig.
“Very happy lang kami, especially ’yung support ng bawat isa nga grabe lang talaga na pinu-push namin ’yung isa’t isa. I’m happy to help in any way I can, especially sa role ko as libero and as an ate. ’Yun, ginagawa ko lang ’yung best ko to support the team,” she added.
Eya Laure on Macandili-Catindig’s Impact
Eya Laure, who has played with Macandili-Catindig on the national team for the past three years, said the veteran libero is a good fit next to team captain Des Cheng. In Laure’s view, Cheng leads the offense, Macandili-Catindig leads the defense, and the two complement each other.
“I think ’yung nakikita ko kasi since si Ate Des ’yung captain ball namin, malaking bagay ’yung pagpasok ni Ate Dawn kasi parang nandun ’yung familiarity kung paano siya mag-j-jel with the leadership of Ate Des,” said Laure.
“So kumbaga talagang nagko-complement na nagbibigay talaga ng kung ano ’yung view ng isa’t isa. Siyempre, lalo na si Ate Des offense, tapos si Ate Dawn defense naman. So parang ang sarap lang sa feeling na nafi-feel namin ’yung relationship nila na na-se-spread nila sa team din. And ang ganda ng effect,” she continued.
Laure added that the whole team has become more open and vocal with feedback since Macandili-Catindig arrived.
Focus on Growth
For Macandili-Catindig, the focus now is getting to know her teammates better, especially how they handle pressure in actual games compared with training.
“Sa pagiging athlete kasi, minsan iba ’yung galaw namin sa training. Iba rin pagka-pukpukan na na may pressure sa game. So these past two games, nakikilala ko ’yung team, lalo na kapag high pressure na,” she said.
“So natutuwa naman ako kasi ’yung growth namin sobrang evident and sana magtuloy-tuloy siya and through all this very long conference maging successful pa and mas magtulungan pa kami sa isa’t isa.”
Choco Mucho will next face the Farm Fresh Foxies on Thursday, October 22, 6:00 p.m. at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
