Capital1 eyes balanced offense

Alta Sportsa month ago · 349 views

Photo: Premier Volleyball League

By Rachel Gonzales

Bella Belen delivered another explosive scoring performance, but stressed that Capital1 needs more balance after a straight-set loss to the Creamline Cool Smashers in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.

Belen fired 26 points in her first meeting with the 10-time champions, but Creamline prevailed, 25-18, 26-24, 25-20, on Saturday at the FilOil Centre for its third straight win.

The rookie accounted for 24 of Capital1’s 42 attack points, with Ypril Tapia the next highest scorer with four markers off the bench.

Photo: Premier Volleyball League

“It was addressed in the dugout earlier. It’s a bit concerning because volleyball is a team effort. It’s never just about one player,” Belen said.

“You can’t win if there’s such a big gap in scoring.”

Belen has averaged 26.4 points over her last five games, including a career-high 29-point outing, but said individual numbers mean little without team success.

“On my part, I just focus on doing my best and giving whatever I can for the team,” she said. “At the end of the day, it boils down to a player’s mindset and how she chooses to perform.”

Photo: Premier Volleyball League

The 23-year-old outside spiker welcomed the challenge of facing Creamline, led by her former NU coach Sherwin Meneses and Alas Pilipinas teammates Jia De Guzman and Jema Galanza.

“There are still so many learnings when you go up against a team that has been together for a long time. They already have an established connection and foundation,” Belen said. “I’m just grateful for the experience, and hopefully next time, we can finally get the win.”

Photo: Premier Volleyball League

Belen admitted that Capital1 is still building its identity compared to Creamline’s championship core, aiming to bounce back against the Farm Fresh Foxies on Thursday.

“I feel like the gap is still big. Creamline has been together for a long time and they really know each other well. We’re still on our way to building that,” she said. “But I can see that we’re capable of reaching that level. We just need to work more as a team. It all starts in training.”

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