Timeout for libero duties? NU Lady Bulldogs’ Bella Belen has a humorous request for her long-time friend and UST captain Detdet Pepito.
Aside from the exhilarating volleyball showdowns, one of the moments that spike up the laughter and excitement from the UAAP fans is the banter game between besties Bella Bellen of NU and UST captain and Detdet Pepito.
The humor duel between the two kalog BFFs started when Bella jokingly challenged Detdet in a libero showdown after her floor defense rose in the first round of UAAP Season 86.
“Kasi po sa training pa lang, ang naka-mindset kasi talaga sa akin dapat ‘yong depensa talaga namin is maganda. For me, para mapaganda ‘yon, [kailangan] is (mapakita) ko sa team ko na kaya naman namin. Na kaya naman ng bawa't isa sa amin na dumepensa nang maganda, na maging consistent. Ayun po. Laban po kami ni Detdet [Pepito]. Charot!” Bella jokingly said in one of NU's post-game press conferences.
ALSO READ: MINDSET BA, MINDSET? NU star Bella Belen wants piece of buddy Pepito in defensive duel: “Laban po kami ni Detdet"
And Detdet, being a 'laking SexBomb,' also responded to a playful challenge with a fierce Tiger spirit.
“Ang masasabi ko lang sa’yo, Belen, kung depensahan mo, lalaban ako!” Detdet said.
ALSO READ: Laban o bawi? UST captain Bernadett Pepito easily responds to bestie Bella Belen's challenge: 'Kung depensahan mo, lalaban ako!'
The Bella and Detdet duo set the court on fire with their friendship as they continued to crack jokes with each other.
But apart from their amusing wit, these two are also champions by heart.
After the UST Golden Tigresses robbed the DLSU Lady Spikers of their hopes for back-to-back championships, and the NU Lady Bulldogs surviving their do-or-die Final Four showdown against the FEU Lady Tamaraws, Detdet and the UST, along with Bella and NU, will face off in a highly anticipated best-of-three final.
When these besties turn into rivals, it’s game on for laughter even through stiff competition.
And Bella shared a request for the UAAP Season 85 Best Libero before their fated showdown.
“So, Det, ito na ‘yong inaasam natin. Gusto mo mag-spiker ka na lang muna sa Saturday? ‘Wag ka muna mag-libero. Okay lang naman! So, see you, Det!” she teasingly said to One Sports.
But kidding aside, Bella and the NU squad will also pour out their best effort against the UST.
“Syempre, nakaka-excite. Kasi karamihan nga po ng players ng UST is kaibigan or kakilala din namin. So, ‘yong UST kasi talagang palaban sila, eh. Siguro, hindi namin be-baby-hin ‘yong laro. Kumbaga ibibigay namin ‘yong 100 percent of effort namin para manalo and para mapahirapan sila. And happy ako kasi si Detdet makakalaban ko na siya sa finals. Teammate ko lang siya no’ng elementary saka high school,” Bella mentioned in the post-game presser.
“So, Det, pasok ka bakla! Det, eto na ‘to Det. Pahinga ka. Tulog ka,” she jokingly added.
In all seriousness, we cannot wait to witness the intense yet healthy volleyball action between the victory-hungry UST Golden Tigresses and the redemption-seeking NU Lady Bulldogs. It all starts with Game 1 of the best-of-three Finals on May 11, Saturday, 4:00 p.m. at the Big Dome.
Watch the full video here:
(With reports from Xander Cipriano/One Sports Digital)