PVL: Galeries’ Graze Bombita grateful to chance to play again

Gracie Bombita (first row, leftmost) and new PVL team Galeries Highrisers. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Graze Bombita is ready to make her comeback with the Galeries Highrisers after missing the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) action for more than a year due to an ACL tear in her left knee.

The 32-year-old hitter finally gets her chance to play again in the pro scene after finding her new home with the newest PVL club starting on Tuesday against Petro Gazz at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“I’m grateful to the Galeries because they gave me a ticket to play again,” said Bombita in Filipino during the team’s introductory press conference on Saturday at Okada.

The hard-hitting wing spiker has been missing action for the past five tournaments after she suffered an ACL injury during the warm-up of her supposed debut for Cignal in the Open onference last March 2022.

Bombita recovered from her injury this year but didn’t see action for the HD Spikers.

After her year-long hiatus, the fit-again Bombita is determined to prove herself again and lead the young Highrisers in their first PVL campaign.

“The excitement level that I feel is 101 percent,” said Bombita, who was the leading scorer in BaliPure when she last played in the PVL in the 2021 bubble in Ilocos Norte.

Bombita said it’s not hard to get along with her new teammates despite coming from different clubs with the help of their captain Fhen Emnas and coach Lerma Giron.

“It’s not that hard to adjust, as our captain said. We already know each other and some of us already played together in another team. You can also feel the support of our teammates,” she said.

Bombita will be teaming up with Dimdim Pacres, Carly Hernandez, Ysa Jimenez, Norielle Ipac, Rap Aguilar, Kia Melgar, Acy Masangkay, Roma Doromal, Julia Angeles, Juliet Catindig, Anne Esguerra, and Andrea Marzan.