Valdez claims 2nd UAAP MVP plum

MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo hotshot Alyssa Valdez will get a well-deserved reward for her year-long exploits in the Lady Eagles’ unbeaten run in the UAAP Season 77 women’s volleyball tourney, being awarded the  Most Valuable Player plum in second game of the finals tomorrow.

Valdez topped all comers in the stats race while retaining the Best Scorer and Best Server plums as well to keep the MVP crown.

The 21-year-old smiling skipper has been dishing out monster games throughout the season, finishing in double digits all the time, to lead the Lady Eagles to a 14-0 card in the elims.

Valdez turned in 25 markers in Ateneo’s 25-18, 25-19, 25-19 spanking of challenger La Salle in Wednesday’s finals opener that put the Lady Eagles on the verge of back-to-back titles.

The Lady Eagles will go for the clincher tomorrow at the MOA Arena, poised to swoop down on a limping La Salle side that lost another player to injury in Camille Cruz.

Cruz, who fell badly in late in the third set, joined skipper Ara Galang (ACL, MCL and medial meniscus tear and big bone bruise) in sick bay after tearing her ACL and LCL, school officials announced yesterday.

Valdez and the other members of the honor roll – teammates Jia Morado (Best Setter) and Denden Lazaro (Best Receiver), National U’s Jaja Santiago (Best Spiker), Santo Tomas’ Ria Meneses (Best Blocker), Far Eastern’s Christine Agno (Best Digger), and University of the East’s Kathleen Faith Arado and UST’s EJ Laure, who shares the Rookie of the Year – will be feted on Saturday, right before Game Two of the Ateneo- La Salle finale.

The top individual performances in the men’s division, led by Marck Espejo of champion Ateneo, already got their day in the spotlight over the weekend.

Espejo won his second consecutive MVP plum along with the Best Spiker trophy on the same day the Blue Eagles captured their first ever UAAP plum.

Other awardees were UST’s Mark Alfafara (Best Scorer), NU’s Peter Torres (Best Blocker), and Vince Mangulabnan (Best Server), Adamson’s Rence Melgar (Best Digger and Best Receiver), AdMU’s Esmilzo Polvorosa (Best Setter), and UE’s Edward Camposano (ROY).