Bella Belen embraced the nostalgia of returning to the MOA Arena — the site of her last NU game — by leading Capital1 to a straight-sets win over Choco Mucho in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference.
Bella Belen made her return to familiar ground a memorable one.
The reigning no. 1 overall pick guided the Capital1 Solar Spikers to a straight-sets victory over the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, 25-23, 26-24, 25-19, in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference on Tuesday, November 4, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Belen, who finished with 11 points, shone in her first PVL appearance at MOA Arena — the same venue where she played her final UAAP game with National University.
Home-court advantage
The 23-year-old outside hitter couldn’t help but smile as she recalled the moment she stepped back inside the arena that marked the end of her decorated collegiate journey.
MOA Arena is quite the venue for Belen and the Lady Bulldogs, as it's the site of their UAAP title conquests in Season 84, 86, and 87.
“Kahapon pa lang, niloloko na ako nila coach na home court ko daw,” Belen said during the post-game press conference. “Kahit kanina, sabi ni coach, this is your home court. Kung naalala ko daw ba ‘yung confetti kasi ‘yun nga ‘yung last game ko.”
“Siyempre, very nostalgic siya for me kasi ‘yun nga ‘yung last game ko. Doon pa ako naka-dugout, sa NU na Bulldog dugout,” she added.
[ALSO READ: Ciao, Bella: Three-time MVP Mhicaela Belen looks back on decade-long UAAP career with NU]
Now in the PVL, Belen sees her return to the arena as a reminder of how far she’s come since her college days with the Lady Bulldogs, who even had her jersey number retired.
“Maganda rin ngayon na ibang team na ‘yung kasama ko na naglalaro. Pero siyempre, same pa rin ‘yung fire, ‘yung love sa volleyball,” she said.
Growing with Capital1
After the early struggles to the conference, Belen and the Solar Spikers are now riding on back-to-back victories and even securing a top 3 spot in Pool A.
With their team chemistry growing, the three-time UAAP MVP is hoping that Capital1 can continue its momentum heading into the next round.
“Kailangan maging mas matiyaga pa kami kasi ‘yung games sunod-sunod, so kailangan mabilis kami mag-adjust,” she explained.
“Thankfully, nagagawa namin sa training pa lang ‘yung mga dapat namin gawin for the game. Lumalabas naman sa game — nakikita namin nagbubunga lahat ng ginagawa namin sa training.”
[ALSO READ: Bella Belen knows building a winning culture with Capital1 takes time]
The Solar Spikers will be back on Tuesday, November 11, when they take on the Chery Tiggo Crossovers at the FilOil EcoOil Arena in San Juan.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.