Queen Lady Bulldog Belen cements place among Philippine college volleyball's greatest

MANILA, Philippines — A champion at first, a champion at last, and now a lasting legacy with an intact dynasty left behind.

Bella Belen delivered a grand harvest of eight championships for NU and five Most Valuable Player plums overall, establishing a reign in the high school division before expanding her territory over to the collegiate play to cap one of the most storied runs in UAAP volleyball history.

With a resume unlike any other, not only did Belen punctuate her status as the greatest Bulldog ever, but she also catapulted herself to the Mt. Apo of Philippine collegiate volleyball.

And no one could ever take that away from her.

“Extra-special siya sa akin kasi isa sa factors na last playing year na namin,” said Belen after NU swept rival La Salle, 2-0, to win Season 87 and establish a new order in the UAAP in front of more than 15,000 fans.

“Parang kung gaano kami kaganda pumasok, dapat ganoon din kaganda ‘yung pag-alis namin.”

Belen, then an elementary sensation from Quezon City, introduced a roaring arrival to the UAAP in Season 77 (2015) by delivering the first-ever girls’ volleyball title to the NU-Nazareth School.

With Belen and her lethal partner Alyssa Solomon at the helm, NUNS went on to win four straight (Seasons 77-80) and five overall in six seasons that served as a premonition to what storm they could unleash in the women’s division.

And she did, ending a 65-year title drought for the Lady Bulldogs with a 16-0 sweep capped by a domination of La Salle in Season 84 as she also became the first-ever Rookie-MVP in history.

Belen and Solomon, along with other seniors Erin Pangilinan and Sheena Toring, got on the receiving end of La Salle’s vengeance in Season 85 but bounced back by sweeping both Santo Tomas and La Salle again in Season 86 and 87, respectively.

The 22-year-old outside spiker brought along three MVPs overall to tie Ateneo’s Alyssa Valdez and Far Eastern U’s Ailyn Ege for the most ever on her way out, not counting her plums in the Shakey’s Super League and Palarong Pambansa. In high school, she also had two MVPs (Seasons 80 and 82).

That unbelievable collection, however, is only secondary to the family bond she has forged with her bona fide teammates for more than a decade, which served as the indelible impact of NU’s grassroots volleyball program as the best in the country today.

“Pag nag-look back ako sa panahon ko sa NU, ‘yung teammates ko agad maalala ko. Hindi ‘yung championship, hindi ‘yung mga trophies. ‘Yung pagsasama at samahan na nabuo namin, hindi ‘yun mapapalitan ng kahit na ano o sino,” shared the teary-eyed Belen.

“Thankful ako na napunta ako sa NU at hindi ko sinukuan ‘yung pangarap ko. Thankful ako na sa NU ko tinuloy kasi parang halos kalahati ng buhay ko, nasa NU ako. Marami akong natutunan at malaking part siya ng buhay ko na madadala ko sa next step ng career ko.”

Belen, now at the summit of Philippine collegiate volleyball, is still uncertain of her next destination — whether it’s here or abroad — for professional play. But what she’s sure of is NU’s bright tomorrow, even without her and company.

“Malaki po ang tiwala namin sa team, lalo na sa mga maiiwan. Hindi nila pababayaan ang team kahit na sino man ang grumaduate o umalis. Alam kong in good hands pa rin ang NU," she vowed.