Khat Bell leads the Chery Tiggo Crossovers to an opening day win in the PVL Reinforced Conference. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIREr.net
MANILA, Philippines — Chery Tiggo coach KungFu Reyes believed that all they needed to do was to ring a bell and that’s what they did, as Khat Bell dominated in her PVL debut kick off the 2024 Reinforced Conference.
Four years since her last game in Manila, Bell brought the same fiery offense with an explosive 23-point outing to lift Chery Tiggo past Farm Fresh, 25-13, 27-25, 25-22, in Pool A on Tuesday Philsports Arena.
“It feels so great to be back here. I’ve been waiting to come back since 2020, and it’s been such a blessing to be able to come back and obviously, play for Chery,” said the American hitter after pounding 22 kills of her 51 attack attempts.
SCHEDULE: 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference
“I’m coming with the same mentality, same mindset. It’s been amazing to come back and the hospitality has been unreal. 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 dynamic with the team really quickly, they’ve made it so easy for me,” she added.
Without Alas Pilipinas players Eya Laure and Jennifer Nierva, Chery Tiggo also leaned on Mary Rhose Dapol with eight points, while Pauline Gaston and Seth Rodriguez added five points each. Setter Jasmine Nabor dished out 11 excellent sets.
Bell last played in Manila for defunct champion club Petron in the Philippine Superliga in 2020 but it was cut short due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
READ: PVL: Khat Bell makes PH comeback with Chery Tiggo
The veteran American spiker admitted a lot has changed since she last played in Manila, making her debut in the country’s pioneering volleyball league.
“ 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,” Bell said.
“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. “
Khat Bell on returning to Manila after four years. #PVL2024 | @LanceAgcaoilINQ pic.twitter.com/yWtLAcCG8W
— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) July 16, 2024
Bell and Chery Tiggo joined Pool A opening day winner Nxled, which it battles on Saturday.
“I got a chance to watch a little bit and I feel really good, you know? They’re a very competitive team, they have some really good players as well, and I think the best thing for tonight has been amazing we can enjoy it for a very short time but tomorrow’s a new day to move on to the next point,” Bell said.
Farm Fresh leaned on Caitlin Viray, who led the way with 13 points. Yeny Murillo was limited to a 10-of-48 attacking clip.