FOR most programs, losing a generational player often signals the end of an era.
But for Bella Belen and National U, that was never supposed to be the story.
As the Lady Bulldogs punched their ticket back to the UAAP Season 88 Finals, Belen could not help but get emotional seeing her former team continue what her batch got off the ground.
“Hindi naman porket gumraduate na kami, like yung tinatawag na era namin, babalik na sa laylayan yung NU. Hindi naman ganun,” she shared with SPIN.ph.
Rather, Belen said their generation made sure to leave behind something more sustainable than trophies: a culture of consistent contention.
“Bago kami umalis, minake sure namin na kaya talaga ng susunod na batch,” she said.
“Yun naman kasi yung goal namin ever since, kung ano yung pwede naming maiwan sa NU. Kung paano ba dapat kami as an NU player. Kung paano kami makikilala dapat. Kung paano namin ipaglalaban yung school.”
That continuity was exactly what the three-time MVP has seen in this return to the title series for the Lady Bulldogs.
Despite roster turnover and even a coaching change, Belen pointed out how this current crew stayed anchored on one thing: the standard that had been set.
“Ang dami nilang pinagdaanan, ang daming changes, ang daming gumraduate. Pero nakita ko na nag-stick lang sila sa goal nila,” she said.
“Hindi naging madali yung journey nila, pero very evident naman yung hard work na ginagawa nila sa training.”
That's exactly why the continuation of their title defense squeezed out the eye juices of the now-Capital1 franchise player.
“Sabi ko nga, niloloko nila ako bakit ako umiiyak,” she started when asked about why she turned emotional following NU's triumph over University of Santo Tomas in the do-or-die stepladder.
“Iba yung saya sa tuwing nananalo si NU. Sa tuwing nakikita ko na umaangat si NU, grabe yung saya ko talaga. Masaya lang talaga na hindi nagsawa yung mga bata na ipakita, ito dapat tayo. Ganito dapat yung standard na binibigay natin.”
Another shot at La Salle
The gold-and-blue standard Belen, Alyssa Solomon, and Co. set will be tested yet again, however, by a La Salle side that has looked every bit as dominant as NU's championship teams had been.
“I remembered na after nila matalo against La Salle, minessage ko agad yung mga seniors at mga bata,” she revealed, looking back at the two teams' Round 1 meeting.
When asked what she saw had to missing back then, the history-making rookie-MVP kept it simple: “Skills nandoon na. Kailangan na lang ng tapang at puso sa paglalaro.”
“Given naman na champion team sila (La Salle), grabe yung experience nila, mataas yung kumpiyansa nila.”
But that doesn’t mean the Lady Bulldogs, a proud program that has proven to be the force to reckon with in modern-day collegiate women's volleyball, are coming in without a chance.
“Mas kailangan na mas maging eager kaming matalo namin sila. Ganun yung dapat maging mindset,” Belen said.
READ: Panique just wasn't missing out on another shot at La Salle
And if National U is to finally break through, Belen believes the answers are already within them.
“Kailangan lang dalhin yung learnings mula first round na hindi sila madikitan, hanggang second round na muntik na,” she said. “Siyempre, kailangan lang ng tibay at puso.”
If anything, the Lady Bulldogs' return to the finals shows that their golden era was never just about one player or two.
It was always about building something that lasts - and now, proving it can win all over again.
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