Camille Victoria. UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Former University of Santo Tomas spiker Camille Victoria is set to make her Premier Volleyball League debut with Akari in the 2023 Open Conference, which kicks off in February.
The Chargers on Thursday welcomed Victoria, who opted to forgo her remaining year with the Golden Tigresses.
Victoria will boost Akari’s roster coming off a breakout season in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament last May.
She was the second offensive option of UST, emerging as last season’s Top 19 scorer with a total of 112 points built on 85 spikes, 21 blocks, and six aces in the 14-game eliminations. She was the No.10 best blocker with 0.39 blocks per set.
Project Victoria: ACTIVATED.
The growling continues as we officially welcome former UST Tigress Camille Victoria to the Akari fam! We are excited to witness what the coaching staff has in store for you, Cams! LET'S GO!!! #AkariRising ⚡️💖✨ pic.twitter.com/DYVLEnNel6
— Akari Chargers (@AkariChargers) January 12, 2023
Victoria, who was also part of the Tigresses runner-up finish in Season 81 last 2019, helped the Season 84’s Best Scorer Eya Laure to finish the elimination with a 9-5 record only to lose to the fourth seed Ateneo Blue Eagles in the stepladder semifinals.
The former Tigress will play under Philippine women’s volleyball team coach Jorge Souza de Brito and team up with fellow new recruits Bang Pineda and Eli Soyud as well as holdovers Trisha Genesis, Erika Raagas, Lycha Ebon, and Dani Ravena, who used to be her college rivals.
Akari finished eighth in its first PVL tournament in the Reinforced Conference, winning three of its eight matches, including the Dominican import Pris Rivera’s record-setting 44 points against Choco Mucho in five sets and a four-set stunner that shattered F2 Logistics’ semifinal bid.
Meanwhile, UST lost two senior spikers as Ysa Jimenez also kissed her UAAP career goodbye and signed with PLDT.
But the Tigresses coach KungFu Reyes has a lot of promising rookies namely Xyza Gula, Regina Jurado, Pierre Abellana, and setter Karylle Caasi to help Laure in her final year this coming UAAP Season 85 in February.