Fans had been steadily building toward what felt like an inevitable coronation, with Bella Belen emerging as the frontrunner to become the first-ever rookie Most Valuable Player in Premier Volleyball League history since the league turned professional in 2021.
The numbers back it up. The impact is undeniable.
Game after game, Belen has looked every bit like the league’s brightest new star. She averaged a staggering 24.22 points per game for Capital1 and scoring at least 20 points in eight of her nine outings during the elimination round of the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
The top overall pick of the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft has showcased an all-around game that continues to set her apart from the rest of the field. She ranks among the league leaders in multiple statistical categories: second in receiving efficiency (40.84), fourth in spiking success rate (35.16), fourth in serving (0.31 per set), and sixth in digging (3.06 per set).
(C) PVL Images
Hopes only grew stronger with each dominant performance, and the belief that a historic breakthrough was within reach for the 23-year-old outside hitter became almost universal.
But that dream suffered a devastating blow when the Solar Spikers bowed out of the play-in round against Galeries Tower last Tuesday — a result that all but closed the door on Belen’s historic MVP bid.
The league’s competition manual states that the “Most Valuable Player of the Conference shall be chosen from the four teams that qualified for the Semi-Final Round,” effectively making Belen ineligible for the award despite her stellar campaign.
PVL Control Committee chairman Sherwin Malonzo confirmed this.
“Yes, only players from the top four semifinal teams are eligible for the MVP award,” Malonzo said.
Since turning professional in 2021, the rule has remained consistent, with the league’s highest individual honor always going to a player from a top-four team.
(C) PVL Images
That list includes Jaja Santiago (2021 Open), Tots Carlos (2022 Open, 2022 Invitational, 2023 First All-Filipino), Bernadeth Pons (2024 Reinforced), Michele Gumabao (2024 Invitational), Brooke Van Sickle (2024–25 All-Filipino, 2025 Reinforced), and Savannah Davison (2025 Invitational) — all of whom went on to win the championship in the same conferences where they captured the MVP award.
However, not all MVPs went on to claim the title; some emerged from semifinal teams that ultimately fell short of the championship.
These include Mylene Paat (2022 Reinforced), whose Chery Tiggo squad finished fourth; Ces Molina (2023 Invitational) with Cignal placing third; Sisi Rondina (2023 Second All-Filipino) as Choco Mucho settled for second; Van Sickle (2024 All-Filipino) with Petro Gazz ending in third; and Erika Santos (2025 PVL On Tour) as Cignal finished fourth.
The situation, however, is not unique to the PVL.
Similar eligibility-based restrictions are observed in other professional leagues in the country, including the Philippine Basketball Association, the Philippines Football League, the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, and the MPL Philippines.
Still, the three-time UAAP MVP remains in contention for individual recognition, with a Best Outside Hitter award still within reach. League rules state that “individual awards shall be chosen from the [10] teams after the Preliminary Round.”
And if there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that Belen’s performance in this tournament will stand as one of the most compelling individual campaigns in PVL history — one that has already reshaped expectations and strengthened the belief that an MVP moment for her is not a matter of if, but when, given the level of play she continues to deliver.
#WATCH: HINDI PA GANUN KARAMI YUNG EXPERIENCE NAMIN 🏐
Despite another 20-point outing, Bella Belen knows she could have done more to keep Capital1’s #PVL2026 campaign alive#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/Jbo6BqWHyb
📹 @justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/LK37dnXYFZ
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 24, 2026
