UAAP rookie-MVP duo blaze trail of history again. But this time, together.

ONE of Philippine volleyball’s dream duos has just turned into reality.

The time has finally come for the UAAP’s two lone women’s volleyball rookie-MVPs to share the same side of the court.

And there couldn’t have been a better moment to do so than playing for flag and country on home soil.

National U’s Bella Belen joined La Salle’s Angel Canino in suiting up for Alas Pilipinas, albeit in a losing effort to Vietnam in straight sets in the knockout quarterfinals of the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup on Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Fresh off winning the best opposite spiker – which isn’t even her natural playing position to begin with – nod in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Women last month, Canino flexed her signature scoring exploits yet again with 12 points on 11 attacks and an ace.

Two-time champion AND MVP Belen, however, had to shrug off some cobwebs in a rare two-point outing. She did make up for lost scoring on defense with six excellent digs and five excellent receptions.

The star duo has at least another UAAP season of locking horns with each other at the highest level in college volleyball. But at least for now, their first of many more Alas team-ups has been nothing short of euphoric — for the Filipino volleyball fan and for Belen and Canino themselves.

Iron sharpens iron for Bella and Angel

Joining forces has paved the way for Belen and her fiercest on-court foe to bring out the best in each other — a brewing connection that will only be strengthened through time.

“Very happy kasi nakasama ko na si Angel sa national team. Siyempre, kalaban ko siya (sa) UAAP, ngayon teammates na kami,” she said.

“I think magiging maganda yung connection namin pag nag-training pa nang matagal at kaya pa namin i-bring out ‘yung best sa aming dalawa.”

And if Canino could take away anything from their first Alas stint together, it’s that she’d very much prefer playing with Belen than against her any given day.

“Actually, nakakatuwa kasi sabi ko nga na mas pipiliin ko pang maging teammate si Bella kaysa kalaban,” she said.

“Sa tinagal-tagal ko rin pong ginustong maka-teammate si ate Bella, I’m very happy na naging teammate ko siya right now.”

Best believe that we’ve only just begun with this story about rivals-turned-national teammates.