“I truly admire her”: Alyssa Valdez excited to face Bella Belen for the first time in the PVL

Widely regarded as one of the brightest stars to emerge from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), Bella Belen continues to shoulder the expectations of becoming the next face of Philippine volleyball — and potentially a cornerstone of the national team’s future on the international stage.

The former collegiate standout wasted little time making her mark in the professional ranks after being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Rookie Draft by the Capital1 Solar Spikers. From the moment she donned the Solar Spikers jersey, Belen embraced the responsibility of leading a rebuilding franchise hungry to establish itself as a legitimate contender.

Her rapid rise has not gone unnoticed. Belen recently added another honor to her ever-growing résumé, claiming the prestigious Ms. Volleyball Award from the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) at the Annual Awards Night held on Monday, February 16, at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.

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The 23-year-old’s achievements have already earned praise from one of Philippine volleyball’s icons, Alyssa Valdez, a three-time Ms. Volleyball recipient herself. Valdez expressed her excitement at facing Belen on the court for the first time, when the Creamline Cool Smashers take on the Capital1 Solar Spikers in the ongoing PVL All-Filipino Conference.

“This will actually be our first game against each other. I’m really excited to face her. More than her skills, I truly admire her character and personality, both on and off the court. She has that never-say-die attitude, that grit and discipline,” Valdez said in a media interaction.

Alyssa Valdez shares her admiration for Bella Belen’s character both on and off the court, following Belen’s 2025 PSA Awards Ms. Volleyball win, and sends her a message ahead of Creamline clash with Capital1 this Saturday. | via Jamie Velasco/One Sports#OSOnTheSpot #PVL2026 pic.twitter.com/H3Q6DEr3Sv

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) February 17, 2026

“I can’t wait to see her grow even more and become someone even more young athletes can look up to. But when it comes to our game this Saturday? Bella is Bella. We are very excited and looking forward to it, and hopefully we can give her a really good match,” she added.

Interestingly, both Valdez and Belen share the same birthday, adding a symbolic layer to the praise from a player widely recognized as the greatest female volleyball athlete in Philippine history.

Meanwhile, Creamline has made a strong start to the All-Filipino Conference, posting a 2-1 record to sit fourth in the standings. Valdez acknowledged that the team is still adjusting to reintegrating key players Jia De Guzman and Bernadeth Pons, who have returned to the franchise.

“We are still working on being more in tune with each other. But it was really nice to see that never-give-up mentality come out after that first set. Hopefully, we can keep building on that because the team’s effort this game was really great,” Valdez said.

She added, “For me, it’s really about mindset — I try to give my 100% all the time so that when the coaches call my name, I’m ready. It’s a team sport, and it’s not just about the players on the court. As a team, we definitely support each other. We are very proud of whoever is shining in the moment. It’s always full support from all of us.”

The stage is now set for a highly anticipated clash, as the two top talents — Belen and Valdez — face off on Saturday, February 21, at the FilOil Centre. Fans can expect a showdown that highlights not just skill, but leadership, resilience, and the next generation of Philippine volleyball stars making their mark.

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