Far Eastern University may have failed to enter the Final Four for the first time ever but its star player earned the distinction of winning the most coveted honor of the 72nd UAAP women's volleyball tournament.
Cherry May Vivas is expected to be formally named as the winner of the league's Most Valuable Player tomorrow for boasting one of the best individual performances during this ongoing tournament.
Vivas beat out the likes of La Salle's Stephanie Mercado and Jacqueline Alarca, University of Santo Tomas' Aiza Maizo and Angeli Tabaquero, Ateneo's Angeline Gervacio and Adamson's Angela Benting in winning the league's first-ever season MVP plum.
Nicknamed as "Mumay", Vivas also won the tournament's best scorer with 271 points and made 31 percent of her spike attempts to become one of the rising stars in volleyball today.
Coaches from all eight teams reportedly went through a voting to determine individual award winners.
Unlike the aforementioned players that were considered favorites, Vivas failed to land FEU in the semifinals after a disappointing 6-8 record, ending a string of three straight finals appearances highlighted by winning its 29th crown in 2008.
The Lady Tamaraws are currently in a rebuilding mode after crowd-favorite Rachel Ann Daquis, currently the team's assistant coach, completed her playing years. Aside from that, they entered the year without another key player in Maica Morada while third-year standout Shaira Gonzalez had an early-season injury.
Of the six possible MVP candidates, Mercado, Alarca, Maizo and Tabaquero were among the likely choices to beat out Vivas for the award having led their respective teams to the finals.
Adamson's second-year standout Pau Soriano took the Best Spiker award while La Salle's Joanne Siy bagged the Rookie of the Year and Best Blocker honors.
Another double winner was Adamson's Lizlee Ann Gata, who will receive the Best Digger and Best Receiver diadems, while UST's Rhea Dimaculangan and Ateneo's Jem Ferrer grabbed the Best Server and Best Receiver plums, respectively.
The men's MVP went to Ateneo's Andre Joseph Pareja, who also won the Best Spiker award while La Salle's Michael Christopher Antonio was named as the Rookie of the Year.
Other winners are La Salle's Chris Macasaet (Best Scorer), University of the Philippines' Lloyd Arden Belgado (Best Blocker), UST's Ray Karl Dimaculangan (Best Server), University of the East's Amenolah Acot (Best Digger), National University's Richard Rocero (Best Receiver), UP's Gerald Magtoto (Best Setter).
Previous MVP winners were determined by the coach of the winning team. A Finals MVP award will be named after the UST-La Salle title series.
The Tigresses took Game 1, 24-26, 25-23, 25-16, 25-21, last Wednesday to move closer to their first title since 2007.
Login to Like
