Capital1's Bella Belen. PVL Media Bureau
MANILA — 2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Draft's top overall pick, Bella Belen, earned praises from PLDT head coach Rald Ricafort and opposite spiker Kianna Dy.
Belen dropped a PVL-best 28 points on 26 attacks, one ace, and a block against them, but went for naught as the High Speed Hitters went away with a 25-20, 25-16, 22-25, 25-17 victory in the 2026 All-Filipino Conference at the Filoil Centre on Thursday.
Ricafort emphasized Belen's complete skill set, highlighting her scoring, passing, and the strong potential she brings as Capital1's prized rookie.
"'Yun talaga 'yung ni-look forward namin today, na i-try talaga bawasan si Bella [Belen]. Pero siyempre, credit pa rin sa kaniya dahil nandun talaga 'yung skill eh. Kumpleto 'yung laro, passing, out-of-system," he said.
READ: PVL: Kianna Dy, PLDT spoil Bella Belen's 28-pt explosion for Capital1
He compared Belen to Capital1's former import Sasha Bytsenko from the 2025 Reinforced Conference, noting the National University product's “strong candidacy for MVP” in the tournament.
"Parang nakarami siyang points sa amin, galing sa backrow pa, so siya talaga 'yun. Bigay namin talaga sa kaniya 'yon. Nung huling beses ko siya kinongratulate, Bella Bytsenko na 'yung tawag ko sa kanya. Ganiyan talaga magiging season niya. For sure, MVP candidate talaga this season," said Ricafort.
Dy admitted that they prepared for Belen ahead of their encounter against the Solar Spikers, adding that she's hard to block on the net.
"Makulit 'yung bola niya, madaming daan 'yung bola niya, so mahirap talaga siyang i-block. Kita naman sa 28 points niya. We prepared for her also. Alam naman namin na Bella will be given a lot of balls. Ayun, 28 points nga siya."