Belen bags 3rd MVP honors

National University (NU) star Bella Belen headlines the list of individual awardees after emerging as Most Valuable Player in Season 87 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball tournament.

The high-flying Belen collected 96.226 statistical points to top all players, leading NU to the top seed after the elimination round. The graduating outside hitter ranked fourth in scoring with 246 points, first in service aces with 30 at 0.57 per set, fifth in digs, and third in reception efficiency.

She also bagged her third Best Outside Spiker award, joining De La Salle University’s Angel Canino, who notched her second after tallying 264 points and consistently ranking in spiking, blocking and reception.

Adamson University’s Shaina Nitura earned Rookie of the Year honors following a historic debut.

The 20-year-old shattered records with a league-high 371 total points and placed in the top 10 across spiking, blocking, and service. Nitura also narrowly missed an outside spiker award, falling just five ranking points short of Canino.

La Salle’s Amie Provido and UP’s Niña Ytang took home the Best Middle Blocker citations.

Provido posted 30 blocks and a 0.55 average while Ytang claimed her third straight award with similar numbers. Despite leading the league with 45 total blocks and a 0.92 average, University of the East’s Riza Nogales ranked third overall due to lower outputs in attacking and serving.

Best Opposite Spiker honors went to La Salle’s Shevana Laput, who tallied 275 ranking points, nearly 100 more than University of Santo Tomas’ (UST) Regina Jurado.

The six-foot-two standout placed second in spiking efficiency at 37.43 percent, second in service with 22 aces, and was fifth in blocking.

NU’s Camilla Lamina reclaimed the Best Setter award she first won in Season 84, leading all playmakers with 5.34 excellent sets per frame. She edged UST’s Cassie Carballo, who averaged 4.89 per set.

La Salle’s Lyka de Leon emerged as Best Libero, narrowly beating UST’s Detdet Pepito. De Leon topped reception at 47.31 percent and ranked fourth in digs, while Pepito was second in digs and fourth in reception.

The awardees will be recognized today ahead of Game 2 of the women’s finals between NU and La Salle at the Mall of Asia Arena.

On the men’s side, Ateneo’s Kennedy Batas was named MVP following a close race. Batas earned 79.815 statistical points to edge La Salle’s Noel Kampton and UST’s JJ Macam, Josh Ybañez and Popoy Colinares.

The 23-year-old outside hitter ranked second in total points with 263, fourth in spiking with 44.79 percent, and made the top five in reception and top ten in digging and service. It marks his first individual UAAP award.

Macam was named Rookie of the Year and also shared Best Outside Spiker honors with Batas. He ranked 15th in scoring and second in serving.

UST’s Colinares and Adamson’s Leo Coguimbal took home Best Middle Blocker honors. Colinares averaged 0.70 blocks per set, while Coguimbal led the league with 46 blocks and a 0.87 average.

Ateneo’s Amil Pacinio earned Best Opposite Spiker with 224 ranking points, highlighted by a league-high 22 service aces and a 41.07 percent spiking rate. JASON MAGO