Rhea Dimcaulangan will make her return to professional volleyball with the Creamline Cool Smashers after a brief hiatus.
Veteran setter Rhea Dimaculangan will now be donning Creamline threads in her return to professional volleyball, starting with their campaign in the AVC Champions League from April 20 to 27.
The 34-year-old has been training with the Cool Smashers for about three weeks now, and was tapped by head coach Sherwin Meneses through her older brother in NU assistant coach Karl Dimaculangan.
“Diba last time, sabi ko sa interview, kung may dumating na opportunity, iga-grab ko siya nang iga-grab. So nagkataon siguro na dumating siya and tinry ko lang din, and ayun nga, si Coach Sherwin [Meneses] ‘yung nag-contact sa akin nung time na ‘yun through sa brother ko,” Dimaculangan recalled in a short interview on Tuesday ahead of Creamline’s PVL finals bout against the Petro Gazz Angels.
Dimaculangan will be with Creamline until the end of 2025, sharing, “So far hanggang matapos ‘yung AVC [the length of her contract], then until December, Creamline pa rin.”
Rhea Dimaculangan last played professionally with the PLDT High Speed Hitters during the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference, before going on hiatus to focus on her life as a newlywed with longtime partner Raymond Villarete.
Dimaculangan admitted missing the physical demands of everyday training, something that she gets to experience once more by joining the 10-time PVL champions.
“Actually, nung nag-training ako, parang na-miss ng katawan ko, ‘yung sakit ng katawan ko tapos ‘yung feeling na may mga teammates ka ulit na palagi mo nilu-look forward makasama kahit gaano kahirap ‘yung training, so parang nakaka-excited na makabalik,” said the legendary UST playmaker.
“Sobrang okay [to train with Creamline], pero syempre, madami pa akong kailangan matutunan kasi bagong sistema at bagong teammates. Pero dahil din sa help nila, mabilis ko rin nakukuha lahat ng mga sets din nila, tsaka palagi nila akong gina-guide.”
“D-Mac” is expected to reunite with a number of familiar faces in Creamline, including national team and UST high school teammate Alyssa Valdez, and former Petron Blaze Spikers stalwarts in Bernadeth Pons and Denden Lazaro-Revilla.
On paper, Dimaculangan will be the Cool Smashers’ most experienced playmaker as she joins a depth chart that includes lead setter Kyle Negrito, Mafe Galanza, and Bea Bonafe. However, that’s not to say that she will be taking over as the chief playmaker in her much-anticipated comeback.
Given that Creamline has found success with Negrito, Dimaculangan is more than open to take a backseat behind the former FEU standout in this chapter of her career.
“Dito pa rin ako na parang suportahan din si Kyle. So, every time na kailangan niya ng help, nandoon lang rin ako, tsaka kumabga sa akin, wala sa akin yung pressure, na kay Kyle. So, kailangan ko siya tulungan,” Dimaculangan said, with Negrito taking over from Jia Morado-de Guzman following her move to the Denso Airybees last year.
Rhea Dimaculangan and Creamline will open their Champions’ League campaign this April 20 against Jordan’s Al Nasr, before taking on Kazakhstan’s Zheytsu VC on April 21 to wrap up the preliminary rounds.
While her volleyball comeback will take place in a high-stakes environment, Dimaculangan is nonetheless embracing the pressure that comes with the situation.
“Kahit gaano kahirap, andiyan na yan. So, kailangan mo lang talagang daanan kung ano ‘yung mga kailangan mong gawin, kailangan mo na mga adjustments and opportunity pa rin ‘yan para may matutunan pa rin ako.”
Images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.