As the hymn of National University echoed at the Araneta Coliseum, Lady Bulldogs team captain Bella Belen could not overcome her emotions as tears slowly came out of her eyes.
Belen tallied a game-high 26 points in 24 attacks and two blocks, with 17 excellent digs and 13 excellent receptions in the Lady Bulldogs hard-fought 23-25, 25-17, 25-18, 22-25, 15-9 victory against the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses on Sunday, April 27.
“Siguro sa sobrang saya and kasi hindi naging madali ‘yung game today,” she said in an interview. “Talagang pinagtrabahuan ng bawat isa sa amin ‘yung panalo. ‘Yung emotion, lumabas na lang na parang thankful na na-reward-an kami ng panalo dahil sa sipag. ‘Yung UST kasi, masipag din talaga.”
“Nung fifth set nga, nakakapagchismisan kami, sinasabi namin sa isa’t isa na nakakapagod. Nakakapagod talaga, pero kasi konti na lang, e, ‘yung fifth set naman hanggang 15 lang naman, so rinemind ko lang ‘yung teammates ko na onting effort na lang, matatapos na ‘yung game and maipapanalo na namin. Napapagod na lang din kami, so dapat panalo, kasi sayang naman ‘yung pagod if matatalo.”
In the fourth set, the Lady Bulldogs are already points away from winning the game, but their back-to-back crucial errors late in the set extended the match to a fifth set.
“‘Yung errors, hindi naman mawawala ‘yan sa player, lalo na ‘pag tight ‘yung game and medyo gigil at gusto agad makapuntos. Sabi ko lang sa sarili ko na coming into the fifth set, kailangan mas composed and kalmado ako kasi isa na ako sa mga seniors, kaya ayoko nakikitaan ako ng mga teammates ko na ako pa ‘yung nara-rattle at natatakot maglaro,” Belen revealed.
“Sabi ko, kailangan ko lang ibigay yung best ko pagdating ng fifth set and saglit lang din kasi yung fifth set ‘eh. Tumigil ka lang din ng kaunti, magugulat ka na lang talo ka na. Binigay ko lang yung best ko nung fifth set ko kasi may teammates naman ako na nakasuporta sa akin, so anong ikakatakot ko.”
Helping Belen in carrying the Lady Bulldogs to victory against the Golden Tigresses was Alyssa Solomon, who tallied 23 points in 20 attacks, two blocks, and an ace.
For Solomon, their competitiveness was the reason they won against the hungry and gritty Golden Tigresses.
She said, “Ano kasi, e, competitive kami as individuals so parang doon pa lang, alam na namin na kaya namin ipanalo ‘yung games namin and ano pa ba. ‘Yun po, talagang, like, maski sa teammates namin, hindi kami pumapayag na matalo kami sa kanila.”
“Siyempre as seniors, kami ‘yung taga-remind sa team na kailangan hindi mawala ‘yung fire ba sa paglalaro lalo na sa training ‘oag may minsan tinatamad-tamad, kino-call out aga para aware siya na ganun ‘yung ginagawa niya sa training.”
At the end of the day, Belen was thankful that she got to experience a quality match against the Golden Tigresses that pushed them to their limits.
She said, “Oo, ito talaga, kasi ‘yung UST sobrang magaling talaga sila at sobrang madepensa nila. Actually, mahirap talaga kalaban ‘yung UST kasi parang complete ‘yung players nila – may setters, may spikers, at may libero pa sila na magaling.”
“Thankful din talaga ako na naranasan din namin siya lalo na’t ngayon, last game na namin sa eliminations. Marami rin kami natutunan ulit at maraming lesson na pwede baunin heading into the semifinals.”
The Lady Bulldogs have the twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals, where they will face the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws. The Golden Tigresses and the De La Salle University Lady Spikers will battle it out in the other semifinals bracket.
“Alam naman namin na hindi siya magiging madali talaga, lalo na lahat, ‘yung apat na ‘yun may chance na maging champion,” Belen ended. “So kami, siguro, kung papaano kami magtatrabaho, kung papaano po namin ime-maintain ‘yung competitiveness, ‘yung tipong hindi po napapasobra, kailangan sakto lang.”
“Marami pang kailangan pagtrabahuhan ‘yung team, ngayon po may scouting, so kailangan mag-adjust kung sino man ‘yung kalaban namin.”
