Belen says past experiences toughened her
For most of the one hour and 53 minutes it took to finish the match, PLDT coach Rald Ricafort had his wards train their defensive sights on Capital1 standout Bella Belen.
After the game, he wasn’t done, spending nearly half his time in the postgame press conference talking about the former National U star.
“This is going to be how her season will turn out, for sure,” Ricafort said on Tuesday after watching Belen explode for a career high. “She’s a candidate for MVP this season.”
Important to note: PLDT won the match, notching its second straight win to start the 2026 PVL All-Filipino after taking care of business against Belen and the Solar Spikers, 25-20, 25-16, 22-25, 25-17, on Thursday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
But that’s who Belen is right now, the weight of her talent bending gravity towards her even after a loss.
It’s not the first time PLDT’s defense revolved around Belen. Ricafort admitted as much. And the 23-year-old hitter recalls as much.
“I still remember the last time we faced them in the Reinforced (conference), they did a good job blocking me,” Belen said. “And from that, I learned that if they’re going to block me, maybe they would do it once or twice, but not as many times [as before].”
Proving herself
As a rookie who came into the league under intense spotlight and the scrutiny that often comes along with it, Belen did more than prove her place among the big names of the game with an impressive first season.
And now, she has become even better.
“Her ball is tricky,” said PLDT’s Kianna Dy, who has had several net skirmishes with Belen as an opposite. “But for me, I guess she has matured more. She’s very calm inside.”
A lot of it has to do with preparations and the understanding that there will be no easy games for her. Ricafort and the High Speed Hitters certainly won’t be the last team to craft a defensive blueprint around stopping her.
“I always watch [game videos] alone,” Belen, who will be honored as Ms. Volleyball from the Philippine Sportswriters Association, said. “I think it’s a habit from my past career. I watch the teams and how they move. I anticipate what will happen and what I need to do depending on what happens.”
And Belen is ready for whatever happens.
“I think I’ve been toughened by my past experiences during my collegiate [years] and international [stints],” she said.
Belen would have wanted her efforts to result in a victory, but she’s willing to use moments like Thursday’s defeat—Capital1’s second straight after an opening-day win—as opportunities to pick up lessons that will make the team better.
“We need to work harder. Continue with the training. We need to push ourselves,” Belen said. “Even if I score well and we end up losing, I always feel like there’s something more than I can give.”
