The road back to the Premier Volleyball League finals hasn’t been easy for Jasmine Nabor and Chery Tiggo.
But on Tuesday night, after years of ups and downs, setbacks, and rebuilds, the Crossovers fought their way back to the league’s biggest stage by defeating Cignal in four sets, 25-17, 16-25, 25-21, 25-23, during the 2025 PVL On Tour semifinal at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Sabi ko nga po sa mga natirang Chery na nag-champion dati, sabi ko talaga, sa wakas,” said Nabor, one of the last three remaining original members of that championship squad, alongside Shaya Adorador and the injured Mylene Paat.
“Kasi sobrang tagal din talaga naming inantay tsaka pinagtrabahuan na makatungtong ulit dito,” she added.
That historic 2021 championship run remains etched in the memories of Chery Tiggo fans and players alike.
Led by Nabor and key stars Jaja Santiago, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, and Buding Duremdes, the Crossovers pulled off a thrilling reverse sweep against Creamline in the best-of-three finals series in the Ilocos Norte bubble.
But after that moment of glory, the years that followed were far from easy for the squad.
The Crossovers missed the podium in the next nine conferences, enduring a wave of player departures and multiple coaching changes.
(C) PVL Images
Nabor even spent a brief stint with Foton before returning to Chery Tiggo, as the team kept searching for the right combination to climb back into title contention.
After years of searching for the right mix, the Crossovers finally seemed to have found it in this conference.
With head coach Norman Miguel in his second conference, rookie Renee Peñafiel making an immediate impact, and middle blocker Imee Hernandez back in action, Chery Tiggo solidified its core with Ara Galang, Cess Robles, Karen Verdeflor, Abi Marano, and, of course, Nabor.
While this batch lacked the sheer firepower and towering presence of Santiago, what set them apart was their balance — a roster where contributions came from all angles, and no single player had to carry the load.
It showed in their postseason run, with four players scoring double digits in both their quarterfinal win over Nxled and their semifinal triumph against Cignal.
And Nabor fully embraces that identity, knowing their collective effort is what brought them back to the finals stage.
“Masasabi ko po siguro, lahat kami pantay-pantay. Walang senior, walang rookie, lahat sumusunod, kahit bata man yung magsalita sa amin, lahat nakikinig,” said the 27-year-old playmaker, who had 21 excellent sets in the semifinal win.
“Sobrang open kami sa lahat ng sinasabi especially siyempre kung sino man yung nasa loob ng court, sobrang tiwala kami sa naglalaro.”
