Ateneo dynamo Kennedy Batas is set to nab his first individual award in style — as MVP of UAAP Season 87.
Kennedy Batas of Ateneo de Manila University will emerge as the UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball Most Valuable Player after a tightly-contested race among the top five contenders.
The 23-year-old Blue Eagle rose to the top with 79.815 statistical points (SP), barely surpassing De La Salle University’s Noel Kampton (74.906 SP), and the University of Santo Tomas troika of JJ Macam (74.681 SP), two-time MVP Josh Ybañez (74.255 SP), and Popoy Colinares (71.064 SP).
Batas tallied the second-most points after the elimination round with 263 markers, while ranking fourth in spiking with a 44.79 percent success rate and fourth in aces with an average of 0.30 per set.
Aside from scoring, Batas placed fifth in reception with a 50.56 percent efficiency and eighth in digging with 1.35 per set.
This will be Batas’ first individual award of any kind in the UAAP.
The recognition will be bestowed prior to Game 2 of the best-of-three Finals between Far Eastern University and National University on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Macam, who placed third in the MVP race, will be named Rookie of the Year after ranking 15th in scoring with 146 points. He finished as the sixth-most efficient spiker with a 42.75 percent success rate and the second-best server with a 0.36 average.
Batas and Macam will also be awarded the Best Outside Spiker honors with 289 and 259 ranking points (RP), respectively.
Colinares and Adamson University’s Leo Coguimbal will take home the Best Middle Blocker awards with 227 and 182 RP, respectively.
Colinares finished second in blocks with a 0.70 average per set and 33 total, while also placed third in aces with 17 total and a 0.36 average per frame.
Coguimbal, meanwhile, led in blocks by a wide margin with 46 total and a 0.87 average per set.
Ateneo’s Amil Pacinio will win the Best Opposite Spiker trophy after ranking fifth in scoring with 198 points and performing well in other departments.
Pacinio tallied 224 RP as he registered a league-best 22 aces on a 0.41 per set average. He was also be eighth in spiking with a 41.07 percent success rate.
Rounding out the awardees will be UST’s Dux Yambao as Best Setter, and La Salle’s Menard Guerrero as Best Libero.
Yambao topped the playmakers’ race with 180 RP thanks to his league-leading 5.85 excellent sets per frame.
On the other hand, Guerrero will claim his second straight award after leading the reception department with a 58.16 percent efficiency while also placing fourth in digs with 2.32 per set.