Belen proud as Solar Spikers prove their depth
Bella Belen notched a career-high for a second straight playdate. And Capital1 made sure to take advantage this time.
But the finest display of grit from the Solar Spikers may have come from a set they lost—and one where Belen had to sit out for quite a spell to deal with cramps.
“My teammates, even during training, they all fight,” Belen said when asked about what she saw during the fourth set of a gripping 25-21, 18-25, 25-18, 19-25, 15-10 victory over Choco Mucho on Tuesday in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
The Solar Spikers had a 2-1 set lead but fell behind early in the fourth, 7-19, before trimming that deficit by more than half, 18-23, while Belen was working out her leg issues. Capital1 fed that rally behind several contributors who stepped in for Belen, who already had 24 points at that juncture.
“We saw in the game, whoever was put in would contribute,” she said.
Capital1 eventually lost the set, but the rally built enough momentum and confidence to deal with the Flying Titans when it mattered.
“It showed in the fifth set,” Belen said. “Because it can’t be just one or two [players stepping up]. Everybody should be there because volleyball is a team sport.”
Her coach, Jorge de Brito, agreed.
“We’re playing as a team,” he said. “Not just seven players, not even six.”
Shaya Adorador, Ezra Madrigal, Ysa Jimenez, Pauline Gaston, France Ronquillo and Leila Cruz all had timely contributions—during the fourth-set rally and in the deciding frame—despite no one finishing in double figures.
But even De Brito understands that everything has to start with his young star.
“She will contribute with the points,” De Brito said after Belen’s new career-high of 29, which eclipsed the 28 she notched in a loss to PLDT on Feb. 12. “But she also brings the attitude inside, attitude in the training. And this spreads to everyone [in the team]. So, it [becomes] a winning culture.
And Belen believes speaking out despite being one of the young guns on the Capital1 roster helps lay the foundation for that culture.
“It doesn’t mean that just because I’m new to Capital, I can’t be, for example, a leader,” she said. “[In our team] whoever can lead, should lead. Whether you are a captain or a player, [you can lead].
“I’m no longer shy to point out the things that I notice so we can make adjustments. I feel like that’s one of my contributions, aside from the points.”
