Bella Belen thought she had already moved on from college volleyball.
She had accepted the decision to leave NU Lady Bulldogs early, begin her professional career, and trust that the powerhouse program she helped build would continue thriving without her.
But championships — especially lost ones — have a way of reopening old thoughts.
Watching National University fall short in its bid for a third straight UAAP title against the De La Salle Lady Spikers forced Belen to confront a question she admitted she had long tried to silence.
“Siyempre natalo kami, so bigla akong napaisip na what if nag-one more year ako,” Belen revealed during a TikTok live session Sunday night.
The three-time MVP had chosen to forgo her final playing year in college to turn professional, a move many viewed as inevitable given her decorated résumé and rising stock in Philippine volleyball.
Even after leaving Jhocson, however, Belen never completely detached herself from the team.
Whenever her schedule with Capital1 Solar Spikers allowed, she attended practices, watched games, and remained closely connected to the younger players trying to carry NU’s winning tradition forward.
But seeing the Lady Bulldogs lose the championship they held for two years appeared to hit differently.
For perhaps the first time since leaving, Belen openly acknowledged that the collegiate experience may have ended too quickly.
During the same livestream with fellow NU standout Buds Buddin, she even advised him not to rush his own exit from college volleyball.
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#WATCH: ATE BELLA IS STILL THERE FOR NU
Bella Belen made sure to stay with the NU Lady Bulldogs as their “three-peat” bid did not end successfully
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— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) May 9, 2026
“Gamitin mo (last playing year mo), sayang. ‘Yan ang pagkakamaling ginawa ko. Sana nag-one more year na lang ako,” she admitted.
“Minsan lang ang UAAP. Once na mag-pro ka, hindi ka na makakabalik.”
When Buddin later asked whether she believed NU was truly prepared to move on without her and fellow star Alyssa Solomon, Belen answered with striking honesty.
“Hindi, hindi talaga,” she said.
Yet despite the doubts, Belen still believed the program would eventually learn to stand on its own.
“May tiwala ako sa kanila. Ready sila, pero iba pa rin kapag may gabay ng seniors and all. It’s about trust,” she added.
To NU’s credit, the Lady Bulldogs still fought their way back to the finals despite losing cornerstone players from their championship core.
Only this time, the ending belonged to La Salle and Angel Canino.
Now that Season 88 is over, the conversations surrounding Belen’s early departure have naturally resurfaced.
What if she stayed one more year? What if the Lady Bulldogs still had their longtime leader during the finals? What if the three-peat chase had one more experienced voice steering it?
For most of the season, those questions belonged only to fans.
After NU’s finals loss, even Belen herself finally admitted she had started wondering too.
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