For Perez, home is where her teammates and supporters are
MJ Perez is no stranger to the Philippine volleyball scene.
Known for her explosive talent on court, the Venezuelan outside hitter first made waves in the country in 2017, when she played for the disbanded F2 Logistics in the now-defunct Philippine Superliga (PSL).
During her three-year stint with the Cargo Movers, she captured an MVP award and a Grand Prix title, along with two runner-up finishes.
Five years forward, Perez is back, this time as Cignal’s import for the ongoing PVL Reinforced conference.
Speaking on her return, the 36-year-old high flyer said she feels right at home in the Philippines, so much so that she admits feeling a stronger connection to the Filipino crowd than her own.
“To be honest, when I come here, I feel closer to the Filipinos than the Venezuelan people,” Perez told the Inquirer after leading the HD Spikers over a gutsy ZUS Coffee squad, 25-18, 29- 27, 21-25, 25-22, last Tuesday at the Philsports Arena.
“You know how all Filipinos are. I felt so welcomed from the very first time. I feel like I am already part of their family.”
M16
Living up to her moniker “M16”, Perez has been firing away for the HD Spikers, amassing 52 points in just two games played. Both resulted in wins.
But while Cignal has enjoyed a strong start, there is still a lot of volleyball left to be played.
The former Olympian said she is excited about facing her former F2 teammates who are now scattered across the league’s 12 teams, including Chery Tiggo captain Aby Maraño and the PLDT duo of Kim Fajardo and Majoy Baron.
This Saturday, Perez will face off against former Cargo Mover Des Clemente, who now suits up for Capital1.
“Playing against them is going to be a good challenge,” she said. “For sure, it’s going to be exciting because I know how (hardworking) they are and how good they are. Definitely, I will be happy to see them after five years.”
Now thriving with Cignal, Perez eyes nothing less than what she had achieved with her former team.
“When I was in F2, it was a great experience personally because we won the championship,” she said. “The goal (with Cignal) now is to be on the podium and why not, be champions. We have to (set) the bar high.”
“I will work very hard to show the best performance to the Filipino fans because I know how much they love volleyball. I want to leave the best impression, of course.”
