The best is yet to come for the revamped Chery Tiggo Crossovers in PH volley league
By Lance Agcaoili
Chery Tiggo remains patient with the progress of its rookie-laden volleyball team as the Crossovers continue to work their way back to the top of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).
The volleyball team owned by United Asia Automotive Group Inc. (UAAGI) has been committed to the sport since 2014 when the Foton Tornadoes, bannered by Jaja Santiago, competed in the defunct Philippine Superliga and won two Grand Prix titles.
The team was rebranded as the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in 2020 and transferred to the PVL a year after, making history as the first-ever professional volleyball champion in the country behind the heroics of Santiago and her sister Dindin Santiago-Manabat in the Ilocos Norte bubble.
The title has been elusive for the Crossovers for the past two seasons but the future is bright after landing the most sought-after collegiate stars Eya Laure and Imee Hernandez of University of Santo Tomas and National University’s Jennifer Nierva, Joyme Cagande, and Cess Robles.
The revamped Chery Tiggo may have fallen a game short of reaching the semifinal round of the recently-concluded Invitational Conference.
But management believes that the best is yet to come for its revamped team, led by the 2022 Reinforced Conference Most Valuable Player Mylene Paat, who is leading a very young squad after seven former Chery Tiggo players including Shaya Adorador and Jasmine Nabor transferred to Foton as the UAAGI decided to field two squads in the previous Invitationals.
“They are here for the long haul. They’ve been here since from the other league and until now they are continuously investing in the team’s development,” said Chery Tiggo coach and team manager Aaron Velez. “Even most of our players right now are rookies, the management knows the potential and capabilities of each player and coaching staff. In due time, we will achieve our goals. We have to work hard for it.”
Libero Nierva, who has been one of Chery Tiggo’s brand ambassadors since her college days at National University, agreed with her coach that success won’t happen overnight, just like in the UAAP when she had a losing rookie year in 2019 before picking the perfect time to help the Lady Bulldogs to a perfect 16-game title run in Season 84 last year and end a 65-year title drought.
“I think lahat naman ng baguhan na mga nagsisimula pa lang hindi agad-agad nakukuha kung ano yung result na gusto nila. Kahit naman sa collegiate,
we’re always aiming for that win and that championship title. Now that we’re in the pros,
siyempre iba din yung demand and yung pressure at the same time,” said the former UAAP Best Libero.“But you know kompleto naman lahat ng resources, coaches kung ano yung kailangan ng players andiyan.”
“We just really have to trust the process and yung management will just have to believe that some day we’ll get there kung ano man yung outcome na gusto natin, which is to get that championship sa PVL. Pagtatrabahuan naman siya every single day,” she added.
Nierva chose to join Chery Tiggo as her pro team as she was inspired when it ruled the first pro tournament of the PVL two years ago, which she wants to experience as a Crossover, too.
“When I was still in college I saw Ate Jaja and some of the NU alumni like Ate Jasmine, Ate Dindin. They played here in Chery Tiggo. And when I was watching them sa PVL, they really inspired me
and that also made me think na why not magsama-sama kami,” Nierva said. “So nung pandemic nagchampion din sila and iba yung happiness na naramdaman ko for them kasi since nung college pa sila hindi sila nakapagchampion and now na nagawa nila yun sa pro. Iba din yung impact, that really inspired me.”
The 23-year-old rookie is also grateful for the support from Chery Tiggo, making transportation more convenient for the student-athlete when she was still studying at NU.
“When it comes to the management nung kinuha nila ako as ambassadress , I don’t really know what to expect but nung pinahiram nila yung car and then they provide everything na kailangan sa car doon pa lang nakita ko na talagang maalaga sila and malaki naitulong sa akin nung car na yun nung college ako,” Nierva said. “Ngayon na nasa pro ako ganun din. I love how we can easily communicate with the management hindi sila mahirap kausapin and iapproach, They’re very supportive in what we do. We’re very grateful, ako I am very grateful to be part of the Chery Tiggo Crossovers.”
Paat, who has been with the team since it was rebranded to Chery Tiggo three years ago, has a lot of reasons why she remained committed to the Crossovers through thick and thin but the management’s unending support to her — even when she played overseas in Thailand as import and a couple of national team stints — and the whole team.
“Maganda kasi yung alaga ng management and of course hindi lang sa individual na players para sa team din like for example kung ano yung mga kailangan namin supplements, equipment, facilities sobrang pinoprovide nila lahat sa team kaya andito pa rin ako sa Chery,” said the team captain. “Pinaka gusto ko doon sobrang alaga nila yung mga players kaya tumatagal din talaga ako and of course, nakakaperform ako ng maayos kasi yun nga sa pagaalaga. Nung naglaro ako abroad, sobrang supportive nila.”
After missing the semifinals of the Invitational Conference, the Crossovers have started their build-up for the season-ending tournament with the rookies familiarizing the team system and building their chemistry with Paat and other holdovers.
Velez, who has been the coach of the squad since 2018, vows to continue repaying the trust of the management by bringing back Chery Tiggo on top of the PVL.
“I’m truly grateful for the opportunity and trust that the management has given me. They’ve always been supportive of me and my vision for the team. In spite of the highs and lows we’ve encountered,” Velez said. “Committed at talagang hands-on ang management kahit hectic at busy ang schedule nila they see to it that the needs of the players and the team as a whole are being met.”
