MANILA – Strong Group Athletics (SGA) has added three former Chery Tiggo Crossovers players to its roster following the franchise’s sudden disbandment.
The SGA announced on Wednesday night, December 3, the signing of outside hitters Renee Peñafiel and Ilongga Princess Robles, and libero Karen Verdeflor.
The three will head to either the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles or the Farm Fresh Foxies, both under the SGA umbrella.
“We were both surprised and saddened by Chery Tiggo’s sudden decision to disband their team. It’s always difficult for players to face such unexpected changes, and my heart goes out to them,” said Strong Group volleyball head Kiara Cruz.
She added: “At the same time, we’re thrilled to welcome Princess, Karen, and Renren to our Strong Group family, and we look forward to seeing them shine with us.”
Robles, a 5-foot-3 open hitter from Iloilo, had been with the Crossovers since 2023 and became one of their most consistent scoring options. She tallied 446 points built on 407 attacks, 37 blocks, and 22 aces.
Verdeflor, drafted ninth overall in 2024 out of Adamson University, played a key role as backup libero to Jen Nierva during her stint with Chery Tiggo.
Peñafiel, a UST product and the 26th overall pick in the 2025 draft, has so far accumulated 84 career points on 71 attacks, six blocks, and seven aces./PN
