University of the Philippines setter Kamille Cal forgoes her remaining playing years in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines to join the Nxled Chameleons in the Premier Volleyball League.
Cal said she was not able to train with the Fighting Maroons for the past three months due to undisclosed reasons, leaving her with no choice but to play professionally.
The 22-year-old Cal was supposed to make her UP debut in the UAAP Season 86 after transferring from National University in 2022.
Cal is also excited to be part of Chameleons’ young squad for the upcoming PVL Second
All-Filipino Conference this October.
“It was really a challenging time for everyone and training was postponed for about three months and in the middle of it all, I was already feeling frustrated because three months of no training can impact an athlete’s progress big time. So, I was weighing my options on whether it was still healthy for me and my career to stay in UP or move forward to PVL,” Cal said in a statement.
“It’s really exciting being part of Nxled. It’s a team with younger players like myself and there is less pressure so we can just focus on growth and progress. So, it’s really a fresh start for everyone.”
The UAAP champion will join the core of Jho Maraguinot, Dani Ravena, Rachel Jorvina, Chiara Permentilla, Krich Macaslang, Lycha Ebon and Cams Victoria as Nxled looks to make an immediate impact in the PVL.
Cal said she will make the most of her experiences in both NU and UP as she faces a new chapter of her career.
“I learned so much from these teams. At NU, I was with them for eight years and it is where I’ve come to love the sport. I learned the characters that make a champion. From high school to college, I am proud to say I was part of a culture of hustle, resilience, discipline and respect for the game and everyone who’s part of it,” Cal said.
“On the other hand, UP taught me to be versatile. I was challenged to be stronger and more independent while still being one of the leaders. It was also such a good experience to be trained by Coach Shaq delos Santos whom I know trained a lot of good setters in the PVL like Ate Rhea Dimaculangan and Gel Cayuna. I learned a lot from him and these, along with my learnings from NU, I plan to take with me as I head on to PVL.”
