Bella Belen officially committed to joining the upcoming 2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Rookie Draft on Saturday morning during Day 2 of the Draft Combine.
Just last week, the three-time UAAP Most Valuable Player shared on the Power and Play with Noli Eala radio show that she was still weighing her options, with the possibility of withdrawing from the draft still on the table.
Not anymore.
Belen declared on Saturday that she will be part of the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft, scheduled for June 8 at Novotel Manila.
“Opo. Kasi parang siyempre, at the end of the day, dito naman tayo sa Pinas. Pilipinas pa rin ang mamahalin,” said Belen.
“Buo naman na po ‘yung loob ko na magpapadraft.”
The 5-foot-8 outside spiker from National University missed Day 1 of the Combine due to prior commitments, as she and several other Lady Bulldogs attended the opening of SM City Laoag.
Already in Ilocos Norte, the team also took the opportunity to watch NU Nazareth School, representing NCRAA, capture the Palarong Pambansa secondary girls’ volleyball championship.
During the morning session of Day 2, draft applicants participated in ball drills, while scrimmages were scheduled in the afternoon.
Belen, widely projected to be the top overall pick in the draft, remains grounded. With a deep talent pool coming from the UAAP, NCAA, Fil-foreign players, and provincial standouts, she continues to temper her expectations.
(C) PVL Images
“Hindi ko naman po iniisip na ako yung magiging number one pick. Maraming talented players din yung nagpa-draft, so ano lang po ako — siyempre hinihintay ko rin kung sinong team yung pipili sa akin,” she said.
“Hindi ko naman po siya like yung pride na ‘ay number 1 ako’. Hindi pa rin po. Kaya nga po may combine para makita ng coaches ng PVL teams kung paano ka makipag-interact with other players.”
Capital1 secured the top overall pick in the draft after winning the lottery, despite not having the best odds. Galeries Tower will pick second, followed by Farm Fresh at third, and Nxled at fourth.
Despite her already impressive résumé — three-time UAAP MVP and three-time UAAP champion — Belen feels determined to continue growing as she transitions to the professional level.
“I’m very excited na matuto pa nang marami kasi sa PVL mataas na rin yung level ng paglalaro. I believe na marami pa akong pwedeng matutunan from them,” she said.
“Kahit saan man ako mapuntang team, ibibigay ko talaga yung best ko na matulungan kung saan man po akong team, na matulungan maipanalo yung games. ‘Yun lang maio-offer ko — yung hard work ko, yung sipag ko. Hindi ko siya iiwan sa NU kasi ‘yun yung naging puhunan ko nung nasa NU po ako.”
Bella Belen on #PVLDraft: “Pilipinas pa rin ang mamahalin. Buo naman na po ang loob ko na magpapa-draft.” 🏐
📹 @justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/eVgiHFqdPk
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) May 31, 2025
