Bella Belen erupted for her best performance in the pros, rallying Capital1 from a third-set stumble to power a thrilling 25-17, 25-16, 15-25, 25-19 victory over ZUS Coffee in their 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference opener on Tuesday at the Filoil Centre.
Belen delivered in the clutch, finishing with a professional career-high 26 points on 24 attacks and two aces, while also posting 16 excellent digs and seven excellent receptions for the Solar Spikers, who joined Cignal, Choco Mucho, and Nxled atop the early standings.
(C) PVL Images
“Siguro po inisip ko nalang kung paano pa ako makakapag-contribute pa sa team since may chance na kaming mapanalo yung game eh, so parang now or never na for us kasi pag hindi kami like, nag-all out pa that set meron pa silang chance na makakuha samin,” said Belen.
“So, yun lang yung inisip ko, kung ano pa yung pwede kong gawin kasi yung teammates ko ginagawa nila yung trabaho nila and kailangan ko rin gawin yung trabaho ko as a player,” she added.
With the Thunderbelles threatening to force a decider, Belen took charge late in the fourth set, unloading four powerful attacks in a decisive 9-0 run that turned a 13-17 deficit into a commanding 22-17 lead for Capital1.
A service error by Shaya Adorador, followed by a Chinnie Arroyo conversion, briefly kept ZUS Coffee alive. But Belen remained relentless, hammering back-to-back kills before an Arroyo attack sailed long to seal the win for the Solar Spikers.
“I really respect them a lot. They have a good team and they improved a lot and we know each other. But I’m super happy because our team really performed well,” said Solar Spikers head coach Jorge Souza de Brito.
Capital1 also drew solid contributions from its newcomers, as Adorador finished with 14 points and seven excellent receptions, Ysa Jimenez chipped in 13 markers, and Pauline Gaston added 10 points.
Setter Iris Tolenada orchestrated the offense with 18 excellent sets, while Rachel Jorvina stepped up in place of Roma Doromal, anchoring the floor defense with 21 excellent digs.
Capital1 looks to sustain its strong start when it faces the Chameleons on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the Ynares Center Montalban.
(C) PVL Images
ZUS Coffee, meanwhile, was led by Thea Gagate, who tallied 15 points on 10 attacks and five kill blocks. Riza Nogales contributed 12 points on eight attacks, three blocks, and one service ace.
Arroyo scored 11 points, all from attacks, while Jovelyn Gonzaga recorded a double-double of 10 points and 12 excellent digs in the loss.
The Thunderbelles aim to bounce back against Galeries Tower on Saturday at 4 p.m.
