What initially looked like another casualty of the Chery Tiggo Crossovers’ sudden exit from the Premier Volleyball League has quickly turned into a reset point for Imee Hernandez, whose career now takes a decisive turn under the Strong Group Athletics banner.
Barely weeks after the Crossovers’ disbandment sent their roster scrambling across the league, Hernandez emerged with a new home, becoming the latest addition to Strong Group Athletics ahead of the 2026 season.
The move makes her the sixth former Chery Tiggo player to land a contract elsewhere, underscoring how swiftly the league has absorbed the fallout of one of its more abrupt franchise exits.
For SGA, Hernandez is not merely depth. Her signing pushes the group’s offseason haul to eight players, continuing a deliberate stockpiling of experience and positional flexibility.
The 5-foot-10 middle blocker is expected to suit up for either Farm Fresh Foxies or ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, joining former Crossovers Cess Robles, Karen Verdeflor, and Renee Penafiel under the same management umbrella.
Around the league, Chery Tiggo’s dismantling has triggered a quiet reshuffle of talent. Setter Alina Bicar has resurfaced with the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, while Hernandez’s former frontcourt partner Seth Rodriguez is headed to the PLDT High Speed Hitters.
The dispersal has effectively spread the Crossovers’ core across multiple contenders, altering depth charts just weeks before the All-Filipino Conference.
Hernandez’s personal story, however, adds another layer to the move. A product of University of Santo Tomas, she entered the professional ranks during the 2023 PVL Invitational Conference alongside Eya Laure. What followed was a stop-start introduction to the league.
A left knee injury sustained during her rookie year against Nxled sidelined her for most of two seasons, delaying the momentum expected of a young middle blocker with size and timing.
It was only during the 2025 PVL on Tour preseason tournament that Hernandez finally returned to extended game action, a comeback that, in hindsight, doubled as her final stretch with Chery Tiggo before the franchise folded.
Now fully healthy, the 25-year-old steps into 2026 with a rare clean slate. Whether she debuts in Farm Fresh orange or ZUS Coffee blue, Hernandez enters the upcoming conference with something she has not had since turning pro: continuity, opportunity, and time.
For SGA, her arrival strengthens an already aggressive build. For Hernandez, it is a chance to reclaim the career that injury and circumstance had put on hold in the Premier Volleyball League.