Chery Tiggo adds Cuban star Yunieska Batista in bold move Toward PVL Reinforced crown

Chery Tiggo has made a major statement ahead of the 2025 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference by signing Cuban outside hitter Yunieska Batista.

The 32-year-old who last played for Yesilyurt Sports Club in Turkey is expected to bring crucial firepower and international pedigree to a Crossovers lineup hungry for title glory.

“Power, performance, and new energy! Outside hitter Yunieska Batista joins the Chery Tiggo Crossovers,” the team declared in a social media announcement on Tuesday.

The Crossovers come into this conference with a past full of near-misses and flashes of brilliance. In the 2024 Reinforced Conference, they showed promise—scoring straight-set wins in some pool games and finishing strong in Pool A—but fell short of the final hurdle.

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In the All-Filipino Conference of 2024-25, Chery Tiggo tasted both struggle and resurgence. They suffered a tough loss to Creamline—one that underscored how far they still had to go—but also bounced back with gritty victories including over Farm Fresh and held their own when it mattered most.

One of their bright spots came via the PVL On Tour earlier this year, where despite losing the final in a five-setter to PLDT, they showed that when the stakes are high, Chery Tiggo can match up.

Batista joins a wing rotation that blends proven veterans and rising stars: Ara Galang, Cess Robles, Renee Peñafiel, Baby Jyne Soreño, and Shaya Adorador. With her arrival, Chery Tiggo is signaling not just depth, but an infusion of experience and consistency to balance the young legs. The Crossovers will lean on their seasoned hitters but will hope that Batista’s international exposure helps them execute under pressure.

After winning their first professional PVL title in the 2021 Open Conference—famously coming back from two sets down to beat Creamline in Ilocos Norte—Chery Tiggo went through several seasons of high expectations that didn’t always materialize.

Now, with Batista in tow, they appear more equipped than ever to bridge that gap between hopeful contender and champion. The mission is escalating: transform potential into silverware.

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