Belen, Lady Bulldogs go for jugular in Game 2

MANILA, Philippines – There is no room for error for the NU Lady Bulldogs in Game 2 of the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball finals as far as former rookie-Most Valuable Player Bella Belen is concerned, even as they hold the 1-0 advantage over the UST Golden Tigresses.

Hardened by their lessons learned during their semifinals series against FEU, where they needed to eke out the win in a do-or-die Game 2, Belen promised that the Lady Bulldogs would mean business come Wednesday afternoon.

“Siguro for Game 2, kailangan hindi kami makampante, kailangan isipin namin na syempre UST ‘yan, palaban yung team na ‘yan. Kailangan yung mindset namin is kailangan tatapusin na namin sa Game 2 katulad nung sa do-or-die,” Belen said after their Game 1 win on Saturday. 

“Kailangan hindi na namin paabutin ng do-or-die pa, ‘wag na kami maghanap ng challenge. Hangga’t kaya naming tapusin nga Game 2, tapusin namin.” 

Though easier said than done, Belen and the rest of the Lady Bulldogs will do good for themselves to treat Game 2 as a must-win affair. With UST’s bid derailed by an injury to star hitter Angge Poyos, NU will hope to regain the crown before she recovers enough to challenge them right back.

In Game 1 NU pounced on Poyos’ absence after spraining her ankle on teammate Em Banagua in Set 2. While the Tigresses were left scrambling after her exit midway, the Lady Bulldogs operated like well-oiled machinery.

Still, Belen believes there were still some lapses that they will need to work on to take Game Two. The MVP candidate zeroed in on one aspect: unforced errors.

“I think kaya pa namin bawasan yung errors. Kasi yung game medyo dikit pa siya, siguro thankful na lang din kami na parehas kami halos ng errors ng UST. Siguro kung hindi sila ma-error, talo kami dito sa Game 2,” said Belen. 

“Siguro balik kami sa training, pagtiyagaan namin kung saan kami masyado nag-error like sa serve. Siguro maglalaan kami ng oras don para talagang makapa namin yung serve namin. Pagdating ng Game 2 ma-maximize [sic] namin yung mga errors namin.”

As Belen and company take care of what to do on the court, she encouraged the NU community to continue to show up, after a whopping 20,955 fans saw the action live at the Big Dome on Saturday.

With all to play for on Wednesday, Belen wants to see a sea of blue and gold.

“Sobrang happy kami kasi talagang nakita namin yung crowd namin na pumunta talaga sila to support us [today]. Nilabanan nila yung UST crowd kahit kanina akala namin mukhang [UST] QPav lang yung Araneta,” quipped Belen.

“Pero nung nakita namin kung paano sila mag-cheer, kasi nakakatulong din samin ‘yun, nakaka-boost samin ng energy na may mga taong naniniwala samin, may mga taong sumusuporta samin, and sana sa Game 2 makita namin sila. Sana mukhang NU gym naman (yung Mall of Asia Arena).”

Game 2 is penciled in to start at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15.