Khat Bell has quickly settled in with Chery Tiggo, feeling right at home from the start.
Bell marked her return to the Philippines with a stellar performance in the Crossovers’ impressive debut victory over Farm Fresh in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference on Tuesday night.
“You know, Chery Tiggo has taken such good care of me, making sure I feel at home and being able to come here and be able to get into dynamics with the team really quickly, they’ve made it so easy for me, actually,” said Bell after the win.
The 31-year-old outside spiker, who previously won two championships in the Philippine SuperLiga with Petron, delivered 23 points, along with nine excellent digs and six excellent receptions in just an hour and 34 minutes of play.
Bell expressed gratitude for the support and facilitation provided by the Crossovers’ management, noting that their assistance had eased her transition into the squad.
“I feel like it’s the same. I’m coming with the same mentality, same mindset. It’s been amazing to come back and the hospitality has been unreal,” she added.
(C) Joaqui Flores/PVL
Standing at 6 feet 2 inches, a product of the University of Texas, Bell last played in the country in 2020 and observed a notable increase in the pace of play since then.
She attributed this development to the PVL’s expansion, which began in 2020 after the league turned professional.
“It’s a lot faster, it’s a product of merging all the leagues together and all the teams together and the girls are getting spread out amongst other teams so there’s a lot more competitiveness for sure,” said Bell.
“The game is faster, the defense, as I’ve said, the liberos, their play in this league right now is amazing.”
Bell pledged to remain focused as she aims to guide Chery Tiggo to success this conference.
“Like I said, four years and I think everyone’s game has developed and changed as well with experience. So I think it’s all about just coming in, just being humble and making sure I do my due diligence as a player and looking out for my opponents, for sure,” she emphasized.
