Chery Tiggo could be on the rise again as decorated veteran Jaja Santiago was seen training with the team for the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference.
In a social media post by Crossovers assistant coach Ian Fernandez, the former Saitama Ageo Medics volleyball player was seen practicing with team libero Buding Duremdes, hinting at a possible return to the squad.
The former National University star ended her stint with Ageo Medics, a team she has been part of for the past five years after the squad wound up fourth in the Japan V. League.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank my Ageo family, from management to coaches, to my teammates, and to all fans who supported me all the way! You have become my family,” Santiago, who was hailed as part of this season’s Best Six in the V1 Final Series, said.
“I am not where I am now without all of you. Thank you for the trust that you gave me and the confidence that I can be at my best.”
Santiago was a key piece in Chery Tiggo’s inaugural PVL title when the Crossovers won the PVL Open Conference against Creamline in a bubble tournament in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte in 2021.
Since the six-foot-four player focused on her career in Japan after that brief PVL stint, the Crossovers weren’t able to repeat that success with the highest they got so far being a fourth-place finish in the semifinals of the 2022 PVL Reinforced Conference.
