Bella Belen is the runaway winner for the UAAP Season 87 Most Valuable Player award. The NU star will join Alyssa Valdez and Ailyn Ege as the only three-time MVPs in the women's division.
Bella Belen, remember the name.
NU’s star hitter is slated to be crowned Most Valuable Player once more, making her a three-time MVP in UAAP women’s volleyball, joining only two others in the league’s history — Alyssa Valdez and Ailyn Ege.
Belen is expected to be receive the top award ahead of Game 2 of the UAAP Season 87 Finals against the DLSU Lady Spikers at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday.
The Lady Bulldogs ace clinched MVP after amassing 96.226 statistical points (SPs).
She was the landslide winner after her closest competitor, Adamson’s Shaina Nitura, finished with 74.259 SPs. Nitura will win Rookie of the Year.
Belen finished fourth in scoring with 246 points across 14 games in eliminations. She was also the most efficient attacker with a 37.76 percent success rate.
Adding to that is the NU senior’s mastery at the service line, topping the category with 30 total aces, averaging 0.57 per set. She also flaunted her all-around game as she placed fifth in digging (2.79 per set), and third in reception (44.44 percent efficiency).
Belen is also set to be named as Best Outside Spiker, where she will be joined by La Salle’s Angel Canino.
She dominated the choice with 381 ranking points (RP) while Canino followed with 250 RP.
Other awardees include best middle blockers Amie Provido of La Salle and Niña Ytang of the UP Fighting Maroons. Provido and Ytang recorded 179 RP and 166 RP, respectively.
This is Ytang’s third straight year of being named Best Middle Blocker.
La Salle’s Shevana Laput was the overwhelming choice for Best Opposite Spiker with 275 RP — almost 100 points clear of UST’s Reg Jurado.
Wrapping up the individual awards are NU’s Lams Lamina who came out as Best Setter, while La Salle’s Lyka De Leon nabbed the Best Libero plum.
Lamina, for her part, drubbed UST’s Cassie Carballo in ranking points, 185-177. She led the setting category with 5.34 average per set compared to Carballo’s 4.89 average.
Lamina collects her second Best Setter award after winning it during her rookie year in Season 84.
Over for the libero award, De Leon nipped UST’s Detdet Pepito with RP tallies of 210-202.
De Leon was the best in reception with a 47.3 percent efficiency rate while ranking fourth in digs. Pepito finished second in digs before ranking fourth in receptions with a 42.38 success rate.
De Leon edged Pepito who is a two-time winner of the Best Libero plum.