Longtime teammates Lamina, Belen ready for PVL matchup

MANILA, Philippines — Bella Belen and Lams Lamina are excited to face each other for the first time in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) after spending years together, winning UAAP championships for National University in high school and college. For the second straight year, a Lady Bulldog emerged as the first overall pick, with Lamina being selected by the Galeries Tower in the 2026 PVL Draft on Wednesday night at Novotel.

READ: PVL: Lams Lamina brings winning pedigree to rebuilding Galeries

Lams Lamina on facing Bella Belen: Bibigyan ko sila ng magandang laban. #PVLDraft #PVL2026 @inquirersports pic.twitter.com/PIrIplhgee

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) June 3, 2026

Belen was last year’s top pick by Capital1 and emerged as the top rookie and best outside spiker of the season. The setter-spiker duo of NU will finally go up against each other when their teams meet in the PVL on Tour. “I’m excited to play against Lams because we’ve been teammates for so long. Now that she’s in the PVL, I’m looking forward to seeing how much more she can improve as an athlete and what she can bring to the league,” said Belen in Filipino. “I’m also excited to see how I’ll perform when she’s on the other side of the net.” “Lams, get ready for my staredown. Just kidding,” Belen quipped. “I’m really happy for Lams because she truly deserves to be the No. 1 pick.” Lamina responded with laughter: “Magtaray lang po siya. I’ll just let her. If that’s what she wants.”

READ: PVL Rookie Draft: Lams Lamina picked first by Galeries Tower

The two-time UAAP Best Setter, who played in five straight finals, vows to give her longtime teammate a good fight, as she hopes to be a game changer for the HighRisers, who eliminated Belen and the Solar Spikers in the play-in in the All-Filipino Conference. “I’ll just make sure to give them a good fight,” Lamina said.

“I’m excited because I’ll finally get to play against her, and this will be our first time facing each other after 11 or 12 years. It feels different because we’ve always been on the same team before, and now we’ll be on opposite sides of the court. I think I’ll learn a lot from her as well.”

In the first three PVL Drafts, products of NU Nazareth School were selected as top picks, including Thea Gagate, who played for NU in high school before joining La Salle in College, in the inaugural staging two years ago. “I can’t really explain it, but I’m just happy to see NU becoming one of the volleyball programs that’s continuing to rise. I hope the success keeps going and that the program doesn’t stop growing,” Belen said. “Hopefully, NU can continue producing more talented players in the years to come.” “I think the results speak for themselves. All the hard work put in by everyone—not just me, but also Ate Thea and Bella—has paid off. Our dreams, sacrifices, and the effort we’ve put in every day during training, in games, and throughout our time at NU have all led us to where we are now,” Lamina said.