FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT
If, indeed, she has played her final game in a National University kit, Bella Belen can find solace in the success she and her longtime teammates built from the ground up.
The Lady Bulldogs, she believes, “are in good hands.”
They will carry on without her riding the momentum of three UAAP women’s volleyball championships claimed over four seasons, the last of which was claimed Wednesday evening after a 25-19, 25-18, 25-19 Game 2 victory to put away La Salle in the battle for the Season 87 crown.
It was the second straight title for NU—and it was perhaps the hardest one.
“We went through so much,” Belen, the NU captain, said. “There were times when we questioned ourselves, if we’re doing this right, if we’re on the right track. But we believed in ourselves … and worked so hard to get to the Finals and this back-to-back.” Fittingly, it was Vange Alinsug who iced the win. The talented outside hitter scored the team’s last 2 points and is generally touted to be the one to take up the cudgels that Belen and longtime scoring sidekick Alyssa Solomon will let go of.
Alinsug, along with libero Shaira Jardio, were named cofinals MVP.
“We just showed [what we can do] and I am proud of all my teammates,” said Alinsug. “We just really wanted to win the back-to-back.”
It was the first time in tournament history that two players we renamed Finals MVP.
“This was something I didn’t expect because I was just doing my job on the floor,” Jardio said.
Belen finished with 18 points, Solomon added 13 while Alinsug added 10 to cap a season where she emerged as a vaunted third option for the offense-heavy Lady Bulldogs.
“Diligence carried us here,” Belen said in the post-game presser, reflecting on the journey that began way back during her high school years alongside Solomon.
“I just enjoyed this journey in my last playing year,” said Solomon.
Before handing the reins of the team to the remaining players who will try to build on NU’s dynastic rule, Belen collected one more souvenir for the season.
‘So much pressure’
Her 96.226 statistical points blew the rest of the field out of the water and gave her a third MVP in four years. There have been only two other players before her to accomplish such a feat: Far Eastern’s Ailyn Ege, who made a hat-trick from 2001 through 2003, and Ateneo’s Alyssa Valdez, who pulled off the same feat a decade later.
Belen beat out Adamson freshman Shaina Nitura for the top honor of the season, the latter missing out on the chance to match the the NU star’s historic feat of becoming the Rookie-MVP, which the Lady Bulldogs skipper accomplished back in Season 84.w
La Salle’s Angel Canino was named Best Outside Hitter along with Belen. Canino’s teammate, Shevana Laput, was named Best Opposite Spiker.
The Best Middle Blocker awards went to 21-year-old Amie Provido of La Salle and 23-year-old Niña Ytang of the University of the Philippines.
Camilla “Lams” Lamina, 23, and a senior playmaker for NU, took home her second Best Setter award while La Salle’s Lyka De Leon, 23, was named Best Libero.
The shiniest trophy, however, went to the Lady Bulldogs.
“There was so much pressure. Nothing but a championship,” said coach Sherwin Meneses. “We couldn’t go for first or second. It was only about being a champion again.”
And it will be for seasons to come.
Basking under the varsity confetti one last time, Belen told the crowd: “I just hope you never get tired of supporting the team even when the [lineup is different].”
“Because the Lady Bulldogs won’t grow tired of winning games for you.”
