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It’s official: Bella Belen has made her professional volleyball debut.
Bella Belen has gotten the rare chance to make her professional volleyball debut twice.
After her highly anticipated debut with the Capital1 Solar Spikers last October 7 was scrapped, Belen played her first official PVL game on Monday, October 13, against two-time PVL champs PLDT High Speed Hitters at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Belen finished with 13 points and nine excellent digs for the Solar Spikers, who were dealt a 22-25, 20-25, 25-23 by the High Speed Hitters. Like their deleted loss against the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, Belen and Capital1 showed flashes of potential against PLDT, only to fall short in the endgame.
“I think we can do better pa sana; kaya sana ‘yung game. Kaya ma-push sana, lalo na ‘yung last set, maraming glimpse ako nakita na kaya sana ng team namin na mag-dominate pa so ayun, kinulang. Ang ganda nung nilaro ni PLDT, nabasa talaga kami lalo ‘yung mga blockings nila so ayun,” Belen reflected.
Still, Belen’s official PVL debut remains special, given that she faced the team she once saw herself being a part of. In getting the chance to face her “dream team”, Belen was also given a much-needed reality check early in her professional career.
While she did finish with 13 points, Belen also struggled to poke through PLDT’s net defense with Kim Kianna Dy and Dell Palomata closely guarding her throughout the game.
“I’m very happy na hindi man ako sa kanila napunta, nakalaban ko sila and grabe, ang dami ko natutunan this game na pwede ko baguhin, na pwede ko ma-apply next game. So I’m very happy na nakatapat ko sila, and ‘yun nga, close talaga ‘yung mga coaches, ganyan. So happy lang ako,” reflected the former National University captain.
If there is anything that Belen has learned from facing PLDT, it is the need to make in-game adjustments quicker, especially with the talent level she has seen early on in the PVL.
“Yun din siguro ‘yung babaguhin ko next game na kailangan umpisa pa lang ng game, marunong na ako magbasa ng kalaban and alam ko na kung paano papaluin sa ganito, sa ganyan. Kasi ngayon, ‘yung teams, mabilis talaga mag-adjust,” Belen explained.
“As in sobrang bilis talaga, di ko ma-explain kung paanong bilis pero tulad kanina, sila Ate Kianna, sila Ate Dell, ang ganda nung blocking nila. So challenge siya sa akin next game kung paano ko masu-surpass ‘yung ganong mga blocks.”
Bella Belen and Capital1 will look to get their first win this Thursday, October 16, against the Farm Fresh Foxies, also at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.