In a display of sheer athletic prowess and determination, Khat Bell delivered a powerful performance in Chery Tiggo’s thrilling victory over PLDT in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference on Saturday.
Bell exploded for 39 points, comprising 33 attacks, five blocks, and an ace, marking the fifth-best scoring output in PVL history.
Yet, despite her outstanding contribution, Bell believes she could have done even more.
The American import’s efforts were pivotal in the Crossovers’ 25-19, 20-25, 25-20, 21-25, 15-10 win against the High Speed Hitters.
Her 39-point explosion tied Chery Tiggo with Creamline and PLDT at the top of Pool A, all boasting identical 3-1 records. However, Bell’s performance, marked by a few errors, left her with a sense of unfulfilled potential.
"Yeah, I should've done like 50," Bell candidly remarked after the match.
"I mean, 39 points is alright, but I had a lot of errors tonight which I wish I wouldn’t have had. But obviously, the goal is to get three points tonight and I’ll take two. But 39 points is cool, but I really don’t like the errors honestly much."
Chery Tiggo head coach Kungfu Reyes echoed Bell’s sentiments, asserting that the veteran winger is capable of even greater achievements. Reyes commended Bell for her stellar defense at the net and on the floor, highlighting her reliability and power.
“Khat can do more. She can do more. That’s normal with her,” said Reyes.
“It’s just like, minsan kasi syempre naka-shuffle din ‘yung bola namin, kailangan namin pagtrabahuhin ‘yung locals. Pero mostly talaga ng panggagalingan ng puntos namin eh ‘yung import. Khat is very reliable from floor defense, net defense, especially during attack. Too much power for her.”
Bell’s comprehensive performance also included 11 excellent receptions, underscoring her all-around contribution to the team. Despite the errors, her dominance on the court was unquestionable, and she was instrumental in Chery Tiggo’s crucial win.
Reflecting on the victory and their previous loss to the Cool Smashers, Bell emphasized the importance of learning from every match to improve continually.
"I think I probably had 10 but I feel good. I’m glad we got the win tonight and that’s a positive thing," Bell stated.
The 31-year-old University of Texas alumna remains driven to refine her game and elevate her team’s performance in upcoming matches.
"Obviously it’s really important and that stuff really matters tonight. We have to kinda use obviously the bad things that we did tonight to get better. 39 points is cool and the win is even better but we’re all looking forward to getting back in practice and just keep getting better," she said.
Bell is keenly aware that the team’s journey is far from over.
"We just have a lot of things that we need to talk about and clean up a little bit and I think the further along we get, the better we’ll be. We don’t need to peak right now, there’s still a lot of games left so I’m looking forward to us making our way."
