San Francisco Signal Land International Star Jaja Santiago as LOVB Expansion Franchise Takes Shape

The San Francisco Signal aren't just filling out an expansion roster—they're importing a global volleyball phenomenon. Ahead of their inaugural 2027 season, the League One Volleyball (LOVB) franchise has secured the signature of Philippine superstar middle blocker Jaja Santiago. The blockbuster move instantly injects the first-year club with elite international pedigree and one of the sport's most passionate fanbases, proving the upstart U.S. league has the financial muscle to pull top-tier talent away from established overseas markets.[4]

Santiago confirmed the transfer on Friday, announcing she will depart the Premier Volleyball League's Creamline Cool Smashers to relocate to the Bay Area. In a unique package deal, her husband, Japanese coach Taka Minowa, will also join the Signal's staff. "It's pushing through. In San Francisco. Our team is Signal San Francisco," Santiago stated during a television appearance in the Philippines, adding that the couple "might leave earlier than expected" to prepare for the January 2027 serve.

The signing is a massive coup for head coach Alfee Reft, who is assembling a 14-player roster that will report to training camp on November 1. Santiago joins a loaded squad that already features three-time Olympic medalist Kelsey Robinson Cook and elite Thai setter Pornpun Guedpard. By aggressively recruiting across the Pacific, the Signal are signaling their intent to compete immediately as LOVB expands from six to ten teams.[2][4]

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But the Signal's ambition extends beyond the court. On the same day Santiago confirmed her move, the franchise announced it will play its home matches at the 111-year-old Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. The Grove Street venue, which opened in 1915 and hosted the Golden State Warriors in the 1960s, will be reconfigured from its 8,500-seat maximum down to roughly 4,000 fans for volleyball.[1][2]

Signal president and co-owner Stephanie Martin emphasized the importance of a downtown footprint over a larger suburban arena. "Finding a venue that could be in the heart of San Francisco was our real focus, because we wanted to be in the middle of the energy of women's sports," Martin told SFGATE. By placing the court on what is typically the general admission concert floor, the team aims to create a high-intensity, intimate atmosphere that prioritizes audience sightlines.[1][2]

The dual announcements—a marquee international signing and a historic venue—position the Signal alongside the WNBA's Golden State Valkyries and the NWSL's Bay FC in a booming era for Bay Area women's sports. "Our long-term goal is to be like the Valkyries or Bay FC," Martin added. "We want to be a defining women's sports franchise in the U.S."[1]

For LOVB, capturing the San Francisco market with a ready-made international star like Santiago is a strategic masterstroke. The league's season runs from January to April, and the Signal will hit the road in December before hosting their first home match in early 2027. With season-ticket deposits already nearing a sellout, the Signal are proving that the appetite for top-tier professional volleyball in Northern California is very real.[1][2][5]

The next checkpoint for the franchise arrives in November when the full squad convenes at their new facility in Brisbane, California, for training camp. If Santiago's dominant net presence translates to the American professional game, San Francisco won't just be a feel-good expansion story—they will be an immediate title threat from the first serve.[2]