Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon are grateful for a lot of things during their dominant UAAP run, which culminated with back-to-back titles for the NU Lady Bulldogs in Season 87.
Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon are no strangers to success, but an emotional end to their UAAP careers with their third championship after Season 87 proved to be the highlight of their stay with the NU Lady Bulldogs.
Winning the chip in all but one of the years spent in the league, Belen and Solomon enjoyed a lot of victories during their time.
But while everyone remembers their first, the two veteran hitters also had a special place in their heart for their last.
[READ: NU Lady Bulldogs assert UAAP dynasty with Game 2 sweep of La Salle for back-to-back titles]
For three-time MVP Bella Belen, whose best-performing years coincided with NU’s titles, the fact that she is set to leave the team made this latest championship all the more special. With her studies complete, it’s time to move on for the high-scoring dynamo.
“For me, extra special siya kasi isa na rin sa factor na yun yung last playing year namin. So kung gaano kami kaganda pumasok nung 84, dapat mas maganda yung alis namin,” said Belen.
“May inaano rin kaming goal eh, yung back-to-back. Gusto namin maiwan siya sa NU kasi yun, di namin nagawa nung [Season] 85 and history [sana] siya para sa NU. Para din makita ng mga susunod na batch na walang imposible at kaya naman talaga as long as nagta-trabaho and as one naglalaro," she added.
Belen and Solomon have long been NU’s 1-2 punch, ever since their high school days.
Now that they’ve finally gained the upper hand in the UAAP senior's division as well, Solomon has nothing but good things to say about their latest run to the summit.
“Special siya kasi nga, na-achieve na namin yung goal namin. Mabigyan yung NU ng back-to-back championships," said Solomon.
"Yun nga, yun yung goal namin nung Season 85. So parang, ang nangyari is bawi namin ito dun sa heartbreak na yun,” she added. In Season 85, the Lady Bulldogs fell prey to then Rookie-MVP Angel Canino and her La Salle Lady Spikers.
In what was expected to be their final game in the NU uniform, Belen and Solomon finished with 18 and 13 points, respectively, to complete the Finals sweep.