Beloved American import Khat Bell’s next chapter has officially kicked off with the PVL’s Chery Tiggo Crossovers.
After five years, Khat Bell has returned to the Philippines. Formerly Petron’s Pilipinas Superliga import in 2019, Khat was tapped by the Chery Tiggo Crossovers for this year’s PVL Reinforced Conference.
The fan-favorite import was recently unleashed in Chery Tiggo’s opening sweep against Farm Fresh on Tuesday, pouring in a game-high 23 points in front of a crowd that gathered at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
With her ever-enthusiastic aura, Khat also recognized the love she’s gotten from Philippine volleyball fans. Khat also admitted missing the Philippines since 2020, so what more from the faithful fans since her Petron days, right?
“There’s nothing like the Filipino fans,” an enthusiastic Khat told The GAME in an interview. “Their support is amazing. Even with me not being here for the past three years, they really have been on me about coming back for the Reinforced Conference.
“Honestly, like, I came back to play for them. So that’s just the biggest thing: the fans.”
While Khat Bell’s return is one full of love and excitement, it’s also her first time with Chery Tiggo. Fortunately, the squad has pulled out all the stops to ensure that she feels at home, and that her integration into the team will be a smooth one.
Khat also lauded her new coach Kung Fu Reyes whom she called an “amazing” and “great coach,” and deputy Yani Fernandez, who’s been like a “brother” to her since her prior stints.
“Being able to come here and get into the dynamic of the team really quickly, they’ve [Chery Tiggo] made it really easy for me actually,” she shared with a group of reporters.
But at the same time, Khat knows the work remains cut out for her. Even if she’s a two-time PSL champion, Khat humbly acknowledged that teams and players have upped their game within her five-year absence.
And even if she sees herself as a “ten out of ten” for Kung Fu Reyes’ system, Khat Bell admits they still have some minor tweaks and adjustments to make moving forward.
For herself, Khat tells The GAME: “I think it’s coming well. They’re going to adjust my meal plans ’cause last set I was really tired and just hungry. So I have to adjust there but I think I fit really well in the [Chery Tiggo offense].”
“Just keep being more focused, I tend to kinda zone out a little bit sometimes when music plays, like I’m dancing in my head so I need to be more focused throughout the set and being more [communicative] with her teammate.”
State of Philippine volleyball
At the same time, Khat Bell’s return coincides with the meteoric rise of Philippine volleyball in terms of interest. While we’ve had the UAAP before, there’s a marginal difference as to when Khat Bell was last here for the PSL.
“It’s been amazing, you know? Playing in the last league, we had a really good showing-up crowd. But then merging everyone together now, it’s amazing…there’s so many amazing players that’s spread out more in the [PVL] now and I think it just brings in a bigger crowd,” she told The GAME.
Khat also observed the evolution of play in the Philippines, which she said has become “faster” over the years. Defense has also improved in the American’s eyes, specifically the liberos.
In fact, she also sang praises for Karen Libero, calling the rookie libero a “dog” and someone she’s excited for to grow into the league.
“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,” she told reporters of the sport’s increased competitiveness.
Banner Image courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.
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