Who are the top players after one round of eliminations in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Volleyball Tournaments?
Round 1 of the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Volleyball Tournaments are officially in the books, with the NU Lady Bulldogs and FEU Tamaraws remaining unbeaten heading into the second and final round of eliminations.
But beyond team success, Round 1 has also given us a glimpse of the new UAAP season’s top players, with the old reliables showcasing their growth as seniors, and the rookies proving their status as the next generation of college volleyball stars.
As we await Round 2, here are the UAAP Season 87 volleyball stars who have topped the statistical categories after the first half of eliminations.
Scoring
Adamson’s super rookie Shaina Nitura topped the scoring ranks for round 1, putting up 170 (24.3 per game) points built on 152 spikes, 10 blocks, and eight service aces, which includes her historic 33-point college debut against the Ateneo Blue Eagles and an all-time UAAP record 38 markers in a loss to the UP Lady Maroons.
UST’s Angge Poyos came in second with 136 points (19.4 per game), while DLSU’s breakout star Shevana Laput followed with 122 (17.4 per game). Poyos’ UST co-star Reg Jurado and DLSU skipper Angel Canino are tied for fourth with 118 points (16.8 per game) apiece throughout seven games.
In the men’s division, Ateneo’s Kennedy Batas leads all scorers with 142 points (20.7 per game) on 122 spikes, 10 blocks, and 10 service aces, while DLSU star Noel Kampton follows with 113 markers (16.1 per game) as the Green Spikers’ clear-cut leader.
UP’s foreign student athlete Raheem Olayemi closely trails Kampton with 111 points (15.8 per game) as he adjusts to the Philippine game. FEU’s lefty opposite Dryx Saavedra top-scored with 109 markers (15.6 per game) for a balanced Tamaraws offense, while Jude Aguilar from Adamson completes the top five with 107 points (15.2 per game)
Spiking Efficiency
The most efficient spiker for Round 1 was NU’s Vange Alinsug, who recorded a 41.67 percent success rate, while Ateneo’s AC Miner continues to shine as a converted opposite with a solid 38.74 spiking efficiency.
DLSU’s Laput also landed in the top five most efficient spikers with a 37.21 percent clip, while Alyssa Solomon’s 116 points for NU is accompanied by a 35.96 percent efficiency.
Another opposite spiker in Jurado follows Solomon closely with a 35.05 percent success rate as she shoulders much of UST’s offensive load with Poyos.
Meanwhile, FEU’s Mikko Espartero had an impressive 50 percent success rate to emerge as the most efficient men’s volleyball spiker in Round 1, followed by the UST tandem of Jay Rack De La Noche (47.47 percent) and breakout rookie JJ Macam (45.83 percent)
Ateneo’s Batas registered a 45.52 percent spiking efficiency after seven games, while FEU’s Saavedra accompanied Espartero with his own 43.60 percent spiking success rate.
Setting
The best setter race is still led by NU’s Lams Lamina with 5.08 excellent sets and UST’s Cassie Carballo with her own 4.62 excellent sets through seven games. However, the biggest surprise is DLSU’s Mikole Reyes (4.62 excellent sets) who has slowly found her groove to find as the third-best setter after one round of action.
Adamson’s rookie playmaker Fhei Sagaysay landed in fourth with 3.89 excellent sets throughout Round 1, while FEU’s Tin Ubaldo slid down to fifth with 3.86 excellent sets.
UST skipper Dux Yambao topped the best men’s volleyball playmakers with an average of 5.13 plays per set, followed by Ateneo’s Lorenzo Gutierrez (4.67 per set), DLSU’s Eco Adajar (4.13 per set), Adamson’s Ronn Domingo (4.00 per set), and FEU’s steady veteran Ariel Cacao (3.13 per set).
Serving
NU’s Bella Belen emerged as the most lethal server with an average of 0.68 aces per set, followed by DLSU’s Laput (0.46 per set) and FEU’s Ubaldo (0.36 per set). UE’s Khy Cepada has also proven to be solid at the service line with an average of 0.36 aces per set, followed by Ateneo middle blocker Yvana Sulit (0.32 per set).
The UST tandem of Paul Colinares with 0.68 aces per set and JJ Macam’s 0.42 aces topped the men’s division, followed by an all-Ateneo trio of Jettlee Gopio (0.41 per set), Batas (0.37 per set), and Amil Pacinio (0.37 per set).
Blocking
UE’s Rizza Nogales continues to be one of the UAAP’s top middle blockers with 0.78 kill blocks per set after Round 1 of Season 87. Alyssa Solomon’s height has also translated at the net with 0.68 kill blocks per set following Nogales, while DLSU rookie Lilay Del Castillo trails closely with an average of 0.62 rejections.
As a testament to Ramil De Jesus’ penchant for net defense, DLSU’s Laput also finished with 0.54 rejections per set, while Canino and middle blocker Amie Provido each averaged 0.50 kill blocks across 26 sets played with the Lady Spikers.
Adamson middle blocker Mark Coguimbal averaged an impressive 1.12 kill blocks across 27 sets played with the Soaring Falcons. Paul Colinares and Doula Ndongala also proved their mettle with an average of 0.75 rejections for UST and FEU respectively.
Ateneo’s Gopio landed in fourth with 0.74 kill blocks per set after Round 1, followed by UST’s Trevor Valera (0.74 per set).
Digging
As another silver lining for UE, Angge Reyes emerged as Round 1’s best digger with 4.26 across 27 sets for the Lady Warriors. Two-time Best Libero Detdet Pepito put up a close 4.21 excellent digs per set, while NU’s Shaira Jardio (2.92 per set) is looking stable as the Lady Bulldogs’ chief floor defender.
Adamson’s Juris Manuel (2.78 per set), and DLSU’s Lyka De Leon (2.65 per set) complete the top five. One spot below the all-libero top five is NU’s Belen with 2.60 digs across 25 sets with the Lady Bulldogs, which further validates her reputation as a two-way threat.
Meanwhile, it’s an all-libero top five in the Men’s Volleyball Tournament, led by FEU’s Vennie Ceballos with an average of 2.50 digs per set. Ateneo’s Lance De Castro (2.37 per set), DLSU captain Mennard Guerrero (2.04 per set), UST Edriel Alabar (1.92 per set), and UP’s Nino Bersano (1.74 per set) were also among the top floor defenders after Round 1.
Receiving
In terms of receiving, it was Adamson’s Manuel who topped the rankings with a 43.57 percent efficiency as she held her own against Season 87’s most lethal servers. NU’s Jardio finished second with a 41.76 percent efficiency, while DLSU’s Lyka De Leon was third with an equally solid 40.70 percent clip.
A welcome addition here is DLSU’s Canino, who landed in third with a respectable 34.93 percent efficiency. From the looks of it, the Lady Spikers star has also made it a point to refine her floor defense, which is already paying off one round into Season 87.
As expected, Belen’s two-way play translated to a top-five slot, finishing with a 33.58 efficiency as one of the league’s top receivers.
In the Men’s Volleyball Tournament, it was NU libero Jimwell Gapultos who finished as the top receiver with a 55.78 percent efficiency after Round 1. DLSU’s Guerrero landed in second with a 55.17 percent clip, followed by FEU’s Ceballos (52.17 percent efficiency).
A pair of wing spikers in FEU’s Jelord Talisayan (46.91 percent efficiency) and Ateneo’s Batas (46.73 percent efficiency) complete the top five best receivers after seven games.
Banner images courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.