MANILA, Philippines — Jaja Santiago like what she sees in the “no one superstar” culture of the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, who returned the PVL finals for the first time since the 2021 Bacarra, Ilocos Norte season.

Santiago was the last Crossover to lead Chery Tiggo to the finals four years ago, and her dominance as Open Conference and Finals MVP made her team the first-ever pro champion of the PVL after beating Creamline in an epic three-game series under a bubble environment.

READ: PVL on Tour: Chery Tiggo ousts Cignal to book finals ticket

With the 6-foot-5 middle blocker from the Japan SV. League watching, Ara Galang and Cess Robles powered Chery Tiggo past Cignal, 25-17, 16-25, 25-21, 25-23, in the knockout PVL on Tour semifinal on Tuesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“I’m very happy and proud of the team. After four years, we’re finally back in the Finals. I told them, don’t settle for less, don’t let this season end with any regrets,” Santiago told the reporters in Filipino.

“I told them that until the Finals, we need to work harder, push harder, and give everything we’ve got. We have to go for it. We have to win.”

READ: PVL: ‘Low-key’ Chery Tiggo making preseason noise

The remaining holdovers of that historic team are Jasmine Nabor, who had 21 excellent sets on top of five points, and the recovering Mylene Paat and Shaya Adorador, listed as reserve in the semis.

Jaja Santiago is an active supporter of her former team Chery Tiggo Crossovers. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

But Santiago sees the same team chemistry from this batch of Crossovers, similar to their squad, then led by her and her sister Dindin Manabat.

“In the beginning, we weren’t that connected. But as we kept going, we started building our chemistry. Like, if someone was struggling during a game, we found ways to pull them back in and support them,” Santiago said.

“Lately, I’ve seen the younger players, with Tyang (Aby Maraño), really stepping up, creating that connection on the court. And that’s so important. We need players who step up, who push others to focus and finish strong. Sometimes players get distracted or intimidated, but now we’re all connected and we’re doing our best to lift each other up so everyone can play their best,” she added.

Jaja Santiago is proud of Chery Tiggo for making it to the #PVLonTour #PVL2025 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/cVQplnFYSh

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) August 12, 2025

As she flies to Japan with her husband on Wednesday, Santiago urges the Crossovers to keep on working on the same page when they try to win the first-ever PVL preseason title.

And she believes this team has what it takes to win it all with its unity and humility.

“Honestly, in some teams, when someone acts like they’re the superstar, it becomes hard for the others to move or contribute. But here in Chery, everyone’s on the same level. We help our rookies, but even us seniors, we share what we can with each other,” said Santiago.

“What’s great about this group is that there’s no seniority mindset. Everyone contributes, everyone delivers. That’s a huge factor—there’s no one superstar. Instead, everyone is a superstar. Everyone’s a leader, everyone has a role.”