‘Walang imposible’: Bella Belen takes pride in career grind from NU afterthought to legend

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Years removed from being nearly cut from her high school team, new NU legend Bella Belen looks back on her UAAP career, taking pride in her perseverance and determination to be the superstar she is today

MANILA, Philippines – Some years back, Bella Belen was a glorified cheerleader in the UAAP high school volleyball ranks with the Nazareth-NU Bullpups program, playing sparingly behind established stars who have since flourished in the pro ranks.

Fast forward to the present, and the 22-year-old outside spiker has morphed into the first three-time UAAP MVP since Ateneo legend Alyssa Valdez, undoubtedly the brightest prospect for the Alas Pilipinas national team, and a three-time champion after NU’s Season 87 finals drubbing of rival La Salle.

Once on the brink of being cut from her high school team, Belen is now an undeniable, irreplaceable core piece to any title-seeking team lucky enough to have her services, and she is nothing but proud of the perseverance she showed on her one-of-a-kind path to volleyball superstardom.

“Walang imposible. Lahat kayang pagtrabahuan at pagtiyagaan, kasi hindi naman lahat ng atleta ay pinanganak na magaling. Kumbaga kailangan lang talagang magsumikap at maniwala sa sarili,” Belen said immediately after the Lady Bulldogs’ finals Game 2 destruction of the Lady Spikers.

“Ngayon, I’m very happy kasi di ako binetray ng hard work ko. Siguro isa na rin yun na maipakita ko sa mga younger generations na lahat posible.“

(Nothing’s impossible. Everything can be achieved through hard work and perseverance, because not all athletes are born great. You have to grind and believe in yourself. I’m very happy that my hard work didn’t betray me, and I think that’s what I can show to the younger generations that everything is possible.)

No size, all skills

True enough, Belen is by no means an imposing physical marvel like a Jaja Santiago or a Shevana Laput. Standing at just around 5-foot-6, the multi-time UAAP Best Outside Spiker also does not have the verticality of other smaller stars like a Sisi Rondina.

Instead, Belen has crafted her own legend by playing smart, relying purely on her personally-honed skills to score kills and aces, reach for digs, and seek out excellent receptions to round out her on-court portfolio.

As the years passed, Belen did not grow taller, only wiser and in turn, vastly better, a fact that she takes pride in as she is very likely set to turn professional, either locally or overseas.

“I’m really proud of myself because I saw how I grew as a person from my rookie year in the UAAP,” the first-ever UAAP rookie MVP added in Filipino. “The UAAP has helped a lot not just in playing but also as a person. I will never forget my four years spent here in the UAAP.”

Though she now stands without par among her peers in the collegiate scene, Belen admits that her journey is only starting, as she prepares for life outside the confines of the league that transformed her to who she is today.

“I think I’m ready for the next step, but I think I have a lot to improve on in the next phase of my career wherever I may go,” she continued. “I really have a lot to learn in volleyball, but I’m very happy because I already learned a lot in the UAAP.”

“It readied me to the reality that I have to step outside my comfort zone.”

One can only imagine the proverbial heights a motivated Bella Belen can reach, but if her UAAP career has been any indication, the possibilities are indeed endless for a superstar of her caliber.

Not bad at all for that “glorified cheerleader.” – Rappler.com