By CHRISTAN SALVAÑA
Bella Belen has wasted little time in asserting herself in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference as she averaged over 25 points in Capital1’s first three outings.
That scoring surge will be under the spotlight again when the Solar Spikers (1-2) face Choco Mucho (1-2) in the 4 p.m. curtain-raiser on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at the FilOil Centre in San Juan.
Belen has tallied 26, 23, and 28 points in her first three games of the revamped PVL conference.
The showdown unfolds ahead of the 6:30 p.m. clash between Creamline (1-1) and ZUS Coffee (1-2), where the Cool Smashers seek to sustain their resurgence after a bounce-back win against sister team Choco Mucho last Feb. 10.
The Solar Spikers will look to rebound from a 20-25, 16-25, 25-22, 17-25 loss to PLDT last Thursday, Feb. 12, despite Belen scoring a pro career-best 28 points.
Choco Mucho, meanwhile, is still waiting whether Laure will suit up after exiting their previous match with an apparent groin and abdominal injury.
Sisi Rondina is expected to take a heavier scoring load should Laure not play, with support from Dindin Manabat, Kat Tolentino, Jaila Atienza, Lorraine Pecaña, Des Cheng, and Tia Andaya.
If Laure suits up, fans could see a renewal of Belen and Laure’s storied UAAP rivalry, when they starred for National University and University of Santo Tomas, respectively.
Laure’s UST squad famously shattered the Lady Bulldogs’ historic 20-game winning streak — a victory that remains one of the most iconic moments in league history.
On the other hand, Creamline looks to capture its second win against the Thunderbelles, who are steadying themselves after the injury to middle blocker AC Miner.
