Santiago named UAAP women’s volleyball MVP
HER University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) career may have ended sans a championship to show for but National University (NU) women’s volleyball star Jaja Santiago is not going away emptyhanded as she is set to receive the league award for most valuable player. Saw her collegiate career end after being booted out by the defending champions De La Salle Lady Spikers in the Final Four, Santiago, nonetheless, played solid for the Lady Bulldogs, leading the squad in scoring with a total 280 points in her final year donning the blue and white.
Along the way she also proved to be the best spiker in the league, the fourth straight year she has done so.
Despite their efforts though, NU, limped out of the tournament after a strong start to its campaign that had it going 6-1 in the first round of the eliminations before going 1-6 after.
Best scorer is Sisi Rondina of the University of Santo Tomas (UST), compiling 296 points in the about-to-end season of the UAAP.
Celine Domingo of the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws is adjudged best blocker while best server is Desiree Cheng of La Salle.
Awards for best digger and receiver go to Kath Arado of the University of the East, with Deanna Wong of the Ateneo Lady Eagles as the best setter.
Rookie of the year, meanwhile, is Milena Alessandrini of UST.
On the men’s side, it is Ateneo’s Marck Espejo who is the MVP while also taking the awards for best scorer and best spiker.