Foton Tornadoes make their return, join PVL starting with Invitationals

Foton Tornadoes announce their return to the volleyball scene.

MANILA, Philippines — The Foton Tornadoes are back in the volleyball scene as they will be the newest Premier Volleyball League club in the Invitational Conference on June 29.

Foton, which was rebranded as the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in 2020,  on Thursday announced that it is making a comeback, this time, in the professional scene.

The Tornadoes will be the Crossovers’ sister team.

“Ready to take the court by storm. After four years, we’re making our club volleyball comeback! Stay tuned for more details,” the team wrote.

Sources told Inquirer Sports that the Tornadoes will be the newest PVL team in the midseason tournament, joining expansion squads Gerflor and Farm Fresh.

When asked about the participation of the newest team, PVL president Ricky Palou said “Foton will let us know this weekend.”

Another source added that the new Foton team will be composed mostly of players who were part of Chery Tiggo last All-Filipino Conference.

The Crossovers had a recent recruitment spree, signing Eya Laure, Imee Hernandez, Jennifer Nierva, Cess Robles, and Joyme Cagande to beef up the Mylene Paat-led squad.

Foton, meanwhile, will announce its team composition in the coming days.

It was one of the pioneering teams in the defunct Philippine Superliga back in 2014 and won two Grand Prix championships in 2015 and 2016.

The Tornadoes produced some of the top volleyball players in the Philippines like Jaja Santiago, who played five seasons in Japan, and Dindin Santiago-Manabat.

Foton was rebranded in 2020 and transferred to the PVL in the following year before winning the maiden pro crown during the bubble tournament in Ilocos Norte with the Santiago sisters leading the way.