Belen triumphant anew in ‘homecoming’
The last time Bella Belen played at Mall of Asia Arena, the game ended in a din of celebration as her National University Lady Bulldogs won a third UAAP title.
Six months later, the top overall pick of Capital1, on whose shoulders rests the franchise’s future, returned to the seaside arena for the first time in a game that also ended in celebration. Belen and the Solar Spikers rose to the top three of Pool A in the PVL Reinforced Conference with a victory over Choco Mucho late Tuesday evening.
“Coach said, ‘This is your home court, do you still remember the confetti?’ It felt really nostalgic for me because that was my last [UAAP] game and [we] even [stayed in what used] to be … the NU Lady Bulldogs’ dugout,” said Belen in Filipino.
Now embarking on a new journey as a PVL player, the 23-year-old rookie is excited for new things to come with the Solar Spikers, sharing her passion and love for NU volleyball with her pro team.
“It’s nice to be with a different team, but the same fire is still there. The same love for volleyball. And I’m super happy that we won again at MOA, and in straight sets,” Belen said.
Belen suffered from cramps midway through the third set, but Ukrainian import Sasha Bytsenko got the job done with 17 points to complete Capital1’s 25-23, 26-24, 25-19 win over Choco Mucho.
‘Paying off’
“Ate Sasha is really competitive. We’ve learned so much from her,” Belen said. “Personally, as an outside hitter like her, I’ve picked up a lot of lessons. She also shares advice with us, telling me what I can do better on the court.”
“I’m really happy she’s with us and that we chose her as our import. She’s such a great addition to the team. Her attitude fits perfectly with us,” added the three-time UAAP MVP, who scored 11 points before her cramps.
After ending the first round with back-to-back wins, Capital1 shifts its focus to the bottom placers of Pool B, starting with Chery Tiggo EV on Nov. 11 at Filoil EcoOil Arena before facing Petro Gazz at Ynares Center, Montalban on Nov. 15 and Galeries Tower on Nov. 20 in another return to MOA Arena.
Belen relished the growth of the young Solar Spikers, who are finally getting their groove in time for the second round, where the top eight teams advance to the knockout quarterfinals.
“I always say that the wins will come as long as we keep working hard as a team. We just need to be more patient because the games come one after another, so we have to adjust quickly. Thankfully, we’ve been practicing what we need to improve on during training, and it’s paying off,” she said.
