ANOTHER familiar face will return to Philippine shores as MJ Perez joins Cignal for the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference.
Looking to make amends from a sixth-place finish in the All-Filipino tilt, the HD Spikers revealed their newest star signing on Wednesday.
"Here for an awesome comeback! Get ready for a major upgrade as former Olympian MJ Perez returns to suit up for Team Awesome in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference," the club wrote.
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A former MVP in the 2017 Grand Prix of the now-defunct Philippine Superliga (PSL), the 6-foot-2 Venezuelan outside hitter is no stranger to the country as one of F2 Logistics' resident imports alongside American ace Lindsay Stalzer.
In the same conference she won league MVP honors, Perez steered the since-shuttered Cargo Movers to their second PSL title against perennial rival Petron.
The 36-year-old hitter will also be reunited with another ex-F2 Logistics star in Dawn Macandili-Catindig, who will enter only her second conference as an HD Spiker.
An 18-year mainstay of the Venezuelan national team, Perez emerged as a multi-awarded spiker in her home league since her 2008 Olympic stint in Beijing, China where the South American side finished in 11th place.
Since her bemedaled time in the Philippines, Perez played club volleyball in Italy, Vietnam and, most recently, in Egypt with Alexandria Sporting Club VC before finding her way back to Manila.
In total, she has taken her talents to nine different countries including her home nation Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Finland, Cyprus, France, and Indonesia.
Perez becomes the third reinforcement to return to the Philippines for another playing stint after PLDT's Lena Samoilenko and Chery Tiggo's Kath Bell.
The Venezuelan ace's much-needed boost will soon be felt in her upcoming PVL debut when the Reinforced Conference begins on July 16.
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