UAAP: Bella Belen says NU loss could be ‘blessing in disguise’
NU’s Bella Belen goes after the ball during a game against UP in UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball.–UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Losing a game they could have won was painful for Bella Belen and National University after University of the Philippines ended their unbeaten run in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday.
Niña Ytang’s 30-point career game led the way for the Fighting Maroons, who pulled off a massive 26-24, 23-25, 17-25, 25-23, 15-12 upset that halted the Lady Bulldogs’ 8-0 start.
“UP played really well today, especially Ytang. She had an amazing performance. As for our team, I think there are things we could have done better. Maybe there were some things we missed, and at the same time, UP played a great game,” said Belen in Filipino after her 21 points, 13 digs, and 12 excellent receptions went for naught.
READ: UAAP: Niña Ytang: ‘Anything is possible’ after UP win over NU
Bella Belen after NU’s first loss in the #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/TJSUaMJEqU
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) March 26, 2025
“But, like coach said, even other teams with a lot of losses are still happy. We need to stay positive because our standing is still good, 8-1, and we’re ranked No. 1. We have to look at it positively now and focus on catching up to secure a twice-to-beat advantage. The next games are really important,” she added.
Even before their game, Belen reminded her teammates that they would be facing a different and hungry UP squad coming off a heartbreaking five-set loss to Ateneo. Ytang also missed the Maroons and Lady Bulldogs’ first-round meeting.
“Yesterday, I told my teammates that the UP team we were facing today was different from the first round. Nina wasn’t playing back then because of illness or injury, but now she’s back. I told them UP would be tougher and more determined to win,” Belen said. “I felt like we weren’t fully prepared today. I can’t really explain what happened, but UP played really well, and we couldn’t keep up.”
Before the loss, NU had won 11 straight games since dropping its first Final Four game to Far Eastern University last year.
Losing a chance to sweep the season for an outright Finals berth like their Season 84 title run three years ago, the two-time UAAP MVP believes this setback could be a blessing in disguise in their bid to win back-to-back championships.
READ: UAAP: UP takes down NU in women’s volleyball stunner
“There was probably some pressure, too. But maybe it’s a blessing in disguise so we can get rid of that pressure. Coach Sherwin (Meneses)said that we shouldn’t let the pressure get to us. We shouldn’t overthink things like that,” she said.
“We’ll probably work harder in training now. I’ve always believed that everything starts in training. What you do in training is what you bring to the game. If you’re sloppy in training, you’ll be sloppy in the game.”
Belen vowed to bounce back against Far Eastern University, a team that pushed them to their limits in the first round, on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Now that we’ve lost, our mindset will be focused on how we can bounce back from it. It wasn’t a terrible game since we pushed it to the fifth set and had a chance to win. We just need to make some adjustments, especially since our next game is against FEU,” Belen said.