IT was back in May when Bella Belen last set foot at the Mall of Asia Arena and won what would be her last UAAP women's volleyball title with National U.
The bittersweet euphoria of ending her college career on a golden note still lingers vividly in her mind.
In her first game back at the Pasay arena — this time as a PVL rookie — Belen made sure to seize her 'homecoming' and channel that winning energy into Capital1.
READ: Bella Belen, Capital1 continue ascent with sweep of Choco Mucho
Her 11-point performance in the Solar Spikers' 25-23, 26-24, 25-19 sweep of Choco Mucho was made even sweeter by the familiarity of taking her powerful swings in the same arena where she won all three of her UAAP championships and season MVP awards.
“Kahapon pa lang, niloloko na ako ni coach [Jorge Souza de Brito] na home court ko raw,” Belen said, talking about the modern venue.
“Kahit kanina, sabi ni coach, ‘This is your home court.' Tapos tinanong pa niya kung naaalala ko ‘yung confetti kasi ‘yun nga ‘yung last game ko [sa UAAP dito] kaya very nostalgic talaga for me.”
Even the smallest details about the venue made Belen’s heart skip a beat, especially when she walked past the Bulldogs dugout that’s exclusively used by the school’s teams.
For the first time, Belen found herself away from that familiar space — now with a new team, in a new league, and starting a new chapter in her already-decorated career.
Still, the three-time UAAP MVP brought the same fire and flair that once electrified the arena during her time in blue-and-gold.
“Du’n pa ako naka-dugout dati sa Bulldogs dugout, pero siyempre, maganda rin ngayon na ibang team na ‘yung kasama ko na naglalaro,” Belen said.
“Same pa rin naman ‘yung fire, ‘yung pagmamahal ko sa volleyball. And I’m very happy talaga kasi sa pagbabalik ko sa MOA, panalo kami — and in straight sets pa.”
‘It’s all in the mind’
It was also at Mall of Asia Arena where Belen once delivered one of the most memorable one-liners of her UAAP career after playing through back pain against La Salle back in Season 86: “As a psychology student, it’s all in the mind.”
She faced a similar challenge in her first pro game at the same venue, as she was briefly taken out midway through the third set after a fall on her right ankle.
Replays showed an awkward landing, but Belen quickly downplayed any injury concerns — even joking about the incident in true Bella fashion.
Just before the post-game press conference, her playful recollection summed up how she refused to let anything spoil her pro debut in her longtime championship battleground.
“Cramps ‘yun. Pagod lang. Kulang lang sa lambing,” she quipped.
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