Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 14) — De La Salle University’s Angel Canino and University of Santo Tomas’ Josh Ybañez instantly made an impact in their freshman year after bagging the Most Valuable Player plum in the UAAP Season 85 volleyball tournament.
They were the second players in the league to be awarded both as Rookie of the Year and MVP in a single season in the women’s and men’s division, respectively, after National University’s Michaela Belen in Season 84 and Ateneo de Manila University’s Marck Espejo in Season 76.
Both the DLSU Lady Spikers and UST Golden Spikers are in the championship run against the NU teams in the women’s and men’s volleyball, respectively.
The 19-year-old Canino also won as 2nd Best Outside Spiker in the women’s division to round up her impressive haul.
The 5-foot-7 Ybañez, who helped UST make its first men’s volleyball finals appearance after 11 years, was also honored as the 1st Best Outside Spiker.
Other top players
The DLSU Lady Spikers showed why they are title contenders as three other players also won awards. Thea Gagate won her second-straight 1st Best Middle Blocker award in the league, while Jolina Dela Cruz was named as 1st Best Outside Spiker and Marionne Alba was awarded as Best Setter.
Meanwhile, University of the Philippines’ Nina Ytang was named as 2nd Best Middle Blocker, Far Eastern University’s Jovelyn Fernandez earned the Best Opposite Spiker honors, and UST’s Bernadette Pepito is the league’s Best Libero in the women’s division.
In the men’s division, the NU Bulldogs bagged three of the nine individual awards: Obed Mukaba as 1st Best Middle Blocker, Michaelo Buddin as 2nd Best Outside Spiker, and Joshua Retamar as Best Setter.
