Bella Belen, NU Lady Bulldogs get big wake-up call in streak-busting loss

Bella Belan of the NU Lady Bulldogs in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament. – PBA PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines – Bella Belen said National University’s first loss to University of Santo Tomas after sweeping it last year was a big cry for her early in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament.

NU’s 20-game winning streak was snapped by Eya Laure-led UST as the Lady Bulldogs suffered their first loss of the season, 23-25, 25-27, 25-17, 25-22, 15-11, on Saturday. Mall of Asia Arena.

“We’ve been told before. It’s not just waking up. Because Adamson, it’s like we’re close. But now, it’s like we’ve been kicked,” said Belen who scored 17 points and 14 receptions.

“I think if we wake up, not because we swept last season, now it will be easy.”

(This is not just waking up. Because against Adamson, he has given a beating. But this time, we were kicked. We have to wake up that this season will not be easy even if we were swept last season. .)

Belen and teammates Alyssa Solomon, Lams Lamina, Sheena Toring, and Erin Pangilinan suffered their first loss since their last high school game in 2019 as Nazareth School won all 14 games in the Season 82 girls tournament to go a perfect 16-0 last season and win the first two games of the season.

The Lady Bulldogs surrendered 38 errors, including a crucial error in the fifth that resulted in their first loss since April 27, 2019 against the same team but with a different line-up.

Belen, last season’s rookie MVP, said he needs to get back on the drawing board after sliding to a UST-tied 2-1 record.

“We have to prepare well in training. Our loss today is a wake-up call. We cannot be satisfied just because of last season. We will be challenged this season,” said Belen in Filipino.

Belen claimed UST was hungry in the fifth set as it also drew clutch attacks from Regina Jurado and Milena Alessandrini.

“It was a good game. UST prepared well and as the coach said they were hungry in the fifth set. They wanted to win more than us. We have to improve our comeback in the next game,” he said.

But if there is a silver lining from that first loss, at least the Lady Bulldogs are free from pressure to keep winning streak alive.

“We said in the locker room that the pressure is off because we haven’t lost a game since high school. We’re just going to focus on the team and the things we need to improve on,” Belen said.

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