BELLA Belen isn’t just armed with an impeccable two-way skillset on offense and defense that has won her a pair of UAAP titles and MVP nods.
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National U’s star spiker has also worn a special and personal pair of pendants since their Season 86 championship run last year.
One bears her name ‘Bella’ on it. The other is more than just your typical lucky charm.
The ‘evil eye,’ beyond being a trendy accessory as of late, is a symbolic charm worn to protect an individual from harm and bad luck brought about by ‘malevolent gazes.’
Such a superstitious concept has also prevailed across various cultures to this day and is believed to have first surfaced in ancient Egypt.
Since she first carried the ‘evil eye’ on her neck last year, Belen and the rest of the Lady Bulldogs emerged as champions. Midway through Season 87, they lead the league and remain unbeaten with seven wins in as many games.
Is it safe to say that Belen is a believer of luck and superstition?
“Medyo oo, medyo hindi. Naniniwala ako na lahat talaga, pinagtatrabahuan. Siguro may part lang na medyo naniniwala ako, may part din na hindi masyado, so 50-50,” Belen shared with SPIN.ph.
“Yung dalawang (pendants), yun yung mga suot ko simula pa last season. Dalawa sila sabay. Parang pampawala rin ng malas kasi meron (akong ganung pendants).”
How Bella's winning vision worked wonders
While she might’ve left behind her double pendants for a couple of games this season, wearing the ‘evil eye’ in their first-round finale win against University of Santo Tomas gave Belen a sharper eye even before the match began.
The Lady Bulldogs’ captain shared how she was able to spot a key setting switch-up from the Golden Tigresses that Belen & Co. was able to spot and capitalize on.
“Nakita namin sa UST kanina nu’ng umpisa ng laro, meron silang ginawa na hindi namin nakita nung mga past games nila. Actually ako, nakita ko na yun sa warm-up pa lang."
“Nagtaka ako, bakit ganito yung sine-set (ng UST) kina Marga (Altea) kasi biglang yung mga set sa kanya, naging bitin. Parang never namin siya nakita nung mga past few games niya kayao sabi namin, kailangan mabilis kami mag-adjust kasi ‘pag hindi kami nag-adjust, matatalo kami," she said.
Belen was spot-on in catching UST’s modified attacking scheme. Once the match reached a fifth and final set, she made it a point to share and instill her winning vision to her tired yet determined Lady Bulldogs side.
“After mismo ng fourth set, nag-huddle kami. Sabi ko, hindi kami nagpakapagod mag-fifth set para magpatalo. Bakit pa kami nag-fifth set magpatalo lang kami? Sana pinatalo na lang namin yung fourth set, ‘di ba?"
Belen added: “Nagpakapagod na rin naman na tayo kaya itodo na natin, bigay na natin lahat para manalo.”
Call her a partial believer of luck, charms, superstition and any of the like, but there’s one thing Belen won’t ever lose faith in.
“Ako, naniniwala ako sa team ko na kaya naming ituloy-tuloy ‘to pero hindi siya magiging madali lalo na’t lahat ng teams talaga ngayon, ang laro nila pataas at pa-peak na sila. Dapat kami ganun din,” the National U captain said.
“Dadahan-dahanin namin, pupuliduhin pa yung galaw namin. Kung ano yung mga lapses namin this game, kailangan namin mapag-aralan para sa next round, hindi na kami paulit-ulit.”
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