Mhicaela Belen
Mhicaela Belen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Full name | Mhicaela Santos Belen | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | Bella | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | Filipino | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | June 29, 2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Hometown | Quezon City, Philippines | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 67 kg (148 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Spike | 270 cm (106 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Block | 279 cm (110 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
College / University | National University | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Volleyball information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Outside hitter | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Mhicaela Santos Belen (born June 29, 2002), better known as Bella Belen is a Filipino volleyball player. She is currently playing as an outside hitter for the NU Lady Bulldogs in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women's volleyball tournaments.[1]
Personal life
[edit]Belen studied high school at the Nazareth School of National University.[2] She is currently taking a Psychology degree at the National University.
Bella previously studied and started her volleyball career at Lucas R. Pascual Memorial Elementary School in Quezon City where she met and became teammates with UST Golden Tigresses libero Bernadett Pepito. Belen previously played libero, while the latter were a spiker. She also has a younger sister named Ghenievib, who is a current member of NSNU Bullpups, as well as the national U18 team. Her sister plays libero just like she did.[3]
Volleyball career
[edit]UAAP
[edit]Belen was a member of NSNU Bullpups women's volleyball team. In 2018, she won Most Valuable Player (Conference) in the UAAP Season 80 girls' volleyball tournaments and her team also won in that year, achieving a 4-peat championship.
A hope for a 5-peat championship in the UAAP Girls' volleyball tournament were destroyed after they lost to DLSZ Junior Archers in the UAAP Season 81 girls' volleyball tournaments finals. [4]
In 2020, she won Most Valuable Player (Conference) and 1st Best Outside Spiker in the UAAP Season 82 girls' volleyball tournaments where they reclaimed the crown back in the girls' division.
In 2022, she continues her volleyball career in NU Lady Bulldogs, the collegiate women's volleyball team of National University. In that year, she made history as the first woman to won Best Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the UAAP on the same year.[5] Her team NU Lady Bulldogs also won the title in the UAAP Season 84 women's volleyball tournament after 65 years of title drought.[6][7]
She and her teammates tried to defend their championship title, but settled for a runner-up finish in the UAAP Season 85 women's volleyball tournament, where they bowed to the De La Salle Lady Spikers in the finals. [8]
In 2024, she led her team to reclaim the title in the UAAP Season 86 Women's volleyball team after they swept the UST Golden Tigresses in a Finals Series. [9] She also reclaimed the Most Valuable Player and 1st Best Outside Hitter awards in the same season, making her a Two-time UAAP MVP. [10] [11]
ASEAN University Games
[edit]She played for the Nazareth School of National University and represented the Philippines in the ASEAN School Games in 2019, where they finished silver.[12]
Rebisco Philippines
[edit]In 2021, she joined Rebisco Philippines in the Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship where they placed last.[13][14]
PVL
[edit]BaliPure Purest Water Defenders
[edit]In 2018, she played for the BaliPure Purest Water Defenders where they placed 6th in the 2018 PVL Reinforced Conference.
Clubs
[edit]BaliPure Purest Water Defenders (2018)
Rebisco Philippines (2021)
Awards
[edit]Individual
[edit]Season | Tournament | Award | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | UAAP Season 80 (Junior's) | Most Valuable Player (Season) | [15] |
2019 | Palarong Pambansa | Best Attacker | [16] |
2019 | NCR Palaro | Best Attacker | |
2020 | UAAP Season 82 (Junior's) | Most Valuable Player (Season) | [17] |
1st Best Outside Spiker | |||
2022 | UAAP Season 84 (Women's) | Most valuable player (Season) | [18] |
Rookie of the Year | |||
1st Best Outside Spiker | |||
2022 SSL | Pre-Season | 2nd Best Outside Spiker | [19] |
2023 SSL | Pre-Season | 1st Best Outside Spiker | [20] |
2024 | UAAP Season 86 (Women's) | Most Valuable Player (Season) | [21] |
1st Best Outside Spiker |
Highschool
[edit]- 2015 UAAP Season 77 volleyball girls’ tournament -
Champion, with NSNU Lady Bullpups
- 2016 UAAP Season 78 volleyball girls’ tournament -
Champion, with NSNU Lady Bullpups
- 2017 UAAP Season 79 volleyball girls’ tournament -
Champion, with NSNU Lady Bullpups
- 2018 UAAP Season 80 volleyball girls’ tournament -
Champion, with NSNU Lady Bullpups
- 2019 UAAP Season 81 volleyball girls’ tournament -
Silver medal, with NSNU Lady Bullpups
- 2019 Palarong Pambansa -
Champion, with NCR girls’ volleyball team
- 2019 NCR Palaro -
Champion, with NSNU Lady Bullpups
- 2020 UAAP Season 82 volleyball girls’ tournament -
Champion, with NSNU Lady Bullpups
Collegiate
[edit]Season | Tournament | Title | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
2022 UAAP | 84 | Champions | [22] |
2022 SSL | Collegiate Pre-Season | Champions | [23] |
2023 UAAP | 85 | Runner-Up | [24] |
2023 SSL | Collegiate Pre-Season | Champions | |
2024 UAAP | 86 | Champions | |
2024 UNIGAMES | Collegiate Pre-Season | Champions |
References
[edit]- ^ Agcaoili, Lance (June 21, 2022). "Still more to come from Bella Belen; NU Lady Bulldogs after historic night". Inquirer Sports. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Mhicaela Belen took exams in 2021 asian club stint". Rappler. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- ^ Garcia, John Mark (May 17, 2024). "MVP Bella Belen honors her 'batallion' of supportive family members". Spin.ph. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ Lozada, Mei Lin (December 9, 2018). "De La Salle-Zobel ends NU's four-year reign in UAAP girls' volleyball". Spin.ph. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ Ulanday, John Bryan (June 21, 2021). "NU's Belen first ever Rookie Year-MVP UAAP women's volleyball". Inquirer Sports. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
- ^ "NU Lady Bulldogs end 65 years drought sweeps UAAP". Tiebreaker times. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- ^ News.com, Inquirer Staff (June 5, 2022). "NU formally books no. 1 spot with Bella Belen adding a dash of history in win". Inquirer Sports. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ Demigillo, Kiko (May 24, 2023). "Bella Belen gets creative in essay after Season 85 heartbreak". One Sports. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ Demigillo, Kiko (May 15, 2024). "UAAP: Alyssa Solomon, Bella Belen deliver NU's second title in 3 years after outlasting UST in Game 2". One Sports. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ Demigillo, Kiko (May 15, 2024). "UAAP: Bella Belen outlasts Angge Poyos and Vange Alinsug to win Season 86 MVP". One Sports. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ Isaga, JR (May 15, 2024). "Two-time UAAP Bella Belen dedicates 2nd title to early NU doubters". Rappler. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ "NU Bullpups nips silver in 2019 asean school games". Inquirer.net. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- ^ "Belen shines as young Rebisco handed tough loss by altay". Tiebreaker times. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- ^ BWorld, Online (October 5, 2021). "Choco Mucho and Rebisco in Asian Women's Club". Business World. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ Escarlote, Mark (December 1, 2017). "UAAP volleyball: Belen wins MVP in girls division, Calado bags top individual award in boys". ABS-CBN Sports. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ "NCR muling nagreyna sa Palarong pambansa volleyball". ABS-CBN. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
- ^ "UAAP 82: NU reigns supreme in girls' volleyball". ABS-CBN Sports. November 17, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- ^ Agcaoili, Lance (June 2022). "UAAP Volleyball: Eya Laure Best Scorer, Bella Belen makes case for Rookie-MVP". Inquirer Sports. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ Agcaoili, Lance (November 19, 2022). "NU's Alyssa Solomon wins Super League MVP". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^ Villanueva, Ralph Edwin (November 11, 2023). "Lady Bulldogs edge Tigresses to rule Shakey's Super League tilt anew". Philstar.com. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
- ^ "Belen wins UAAP MVP for the second time; Poyos wins ROY honors". Spin.ph. November 17, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ Reyes, Mark Anthony (June 22, 2022). "NU Lady Bulldogs sweep season to end 65 years drought for UAAP volleyball title". Inquirer Sports. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ "Dominant NU blanks DLSU, wins Shakey's Super League". Rappler. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ Valencia, Justin (May 14, 2023). "La Salle storms back, completes revenge on NU for UAAP 85 crown". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved May 14, 2023.