Bella Belen remembers it vividly.
Her official Premier Volleyball League debut against PLDT was nothing short of a trial by fire — every swing met with towering blockers, every attack tested by one of the league’s best defensive specialists.
Belen finished with just 13 points (a total far below her usual standards), but every point was hard-earned against a PLDT frontline of Majoy Baron, Mika Reyes, and Dell Palomata, with Kath Arado patrolling the backline.
It was a moment that could have broken some players. For Belen, however, it only made her stronger, sharpening her instincts and preparing her to shine against the league’s toughest defenses — a fact proven by her standout performances in the ongoing All-Filipino Conference.
“Naalala ko pa yung last na paghaharap namin sa Reinforced… Grabe… naba-block nila ako,” Belen recalled.
That experience became a turning point, forcing her to rethink her approach against one of the league’s most formidable defenses.
(C) PVL Images
“Dapat from that, kung makaka-block man sila sa akin, siguro dalawa, isa, pero hindi ganon karami… Kailangan mas marami pa rin akong napuntos for the team,” said Belen, who tallied 26 points against ZUS Coffee and 23 in the loss versus Nxled.
“Siyempre, yung coverage nandiyan kahit ma-block ako, meron na ka-support na sa akin. So, ayun, inaral naman namin yung PLDT po, na alam namin na yung advantage talaga nila is yung blocking nila. Kasi, malalaki at mabibilis talaga sila.”
And that lesson was on full display when Belen faced the High Speed Hitters in the ongoing All-Filipino Conference. She erupted for a PVL-best 28 points on 26 attacks, one kill, and one block, alongside 10 excellent digs and 12 excellent receptions.
While the effort ultimately resulted in a loss, Belen took pride in how her team battled every point.
She also felt encouraged seeing her teammates fight through tough moments, knowing that the lessons learned would only make them stronger moving forward in the tournament.
“Siyempre, despite the loss, nakita ko naman na lumaban yung team. Kumbaga, mayroong glimpse na kaya, kaya sana ng team. Sadyang, siyempre yung kalaban namin, sobrang veterano na matagalan sila magkasama, ganyan,” said Belen.
For her, it’s always been about perseverance and learning from past mistakes.
She hopes the Solar Spikers can take lessons from their back-to-back losses and use them to break out of their slump, refocus, and return to the win column.
“Meron pa kami dapat, sana pinush pa namin yung sarili namin na kung ano pa yung pwede namin gawin sana, para ma-push pa yung game into 5-set. And sana nanalo kami, gano’n,” said the former National University star.
“So, I’m very happy pa rin naman sa naging performance ng team na kahit gano’n yun, natalo. Nakita ko naman na lumaban ko yung team.”
#WATCH: KULANG PA 🏐
Despite her 28-point outing ending in a loss, Bella Belen remains proud of the stand she and Capital1 gave against PLDT #ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/PUkLFBilni
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times #PVL2026 pic.twitter.com/JLRpuP8hb4
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) February 12, 2026
