PSA to fete Miss Volleyball, Mr. Football

MANILA, Philippines - For best representing their respective fields in the year just passed, two lovely volleybelles and a talented booter will be handed out special awards by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) this Saturday at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel.

Stephan Schrock and the pair of Abigail Maraño and Alyssa Valdez are the recipients of the titles Mr. Football and Miss Volleyball, respectively, when the country’s oldest media organization honors a total of 123 personalities and entities during its Jan. 25 Annual Awards Night presented by Milo, with Air21 as major sponsor.

It will be the first PSA award for the 27-year-old Schrock, who further bolstered football in the country with his brilliant stint during the Philippine Peace Cup when the Azkals retained their title. The midfielder, born to a German father and Filipina mother, signed with Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt in the middle of 2013.

Previous Mr. Football honorees include Chieffy Caligdong, Phil Younghusband and Ed Sacapano.

Meanwhile, Maraño and Valdez are the first to be recognized as Miss Volleyball by the PSA in the yearly formal gathering being held in partnership with Smart Sports, Philippine Sports Commission, SM Prime Holdings, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, Philippine Basketball Association, Globalport, Rain or Shine, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Accel at 3XVI and Sen. Chiz Escudero.

Maraño anchored a talent-laden De La Salle women’s volleyball team to a third straight University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) title in 2013, including a two-game sweep of long-time rival Ateneo in the Finals.

The 21-year-old team captain of the Lady Spikers went on and claimed her second straight UAAP Most Valuable Player award.

Valdez, 21, meanwhile, was credited for helping in the resurgence of Ateneo’s volleyball program for women and played a vital cog in two of the school’s previous titles in the Shakey’s V-League. 

Schrock, Maraño, and Valdez will join the rest of the local sports community in honoring Gilas Pilipinas as the 2013 Athlete of the Year during the elaborate rite to be aired live by long-time PSA partner DZSR Sports Radio 918.

The trio of pool players Rubilen Amit, Dennis Orcollo, and Lee Van Corteza along with taekwondo jin Mikeala Calamba are the year’s choices for the President’s Award, while Executive of the Year is Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Manny V. Pangilinan.