Fallen Jaja, Marck rise as MVPs

MANILA, Philippines — National U star Jaja Santiago emerged as the “Alpha Dog” of UAAP women’s volleyball while Ateneo’s Marck Espejo matched history with his fifth Most Valuable Player plum as the league announced its top individual performers for Season 80 yesterday.

Claiming a consolation of sorts after falling short of leading NU to the championship on her fifth year, the 6-foot-5 Santiago won MVP honors and added the Best Spiker accolade for icing.

Santiago was tops in spiking with a 41.76 percent success rate and wound up second in scoring with 280 behind UST’s Sisi Rondina (296) and in blocking with an average of 0.68 per set, next only to FEU’s Celine Domingo (41 blocks overall and 0.73 average).

Espejo, who struck with a record 55 points in the Final Four against Far Eastern, bagged MVP No. 5 with the Best Scorer (317), Best Spiker (50.09 success rate), and Best Server (0.44 average) special awards.

Before Espejo, only chess GM John Paul Gomez of La Salle and University of the Philippines’ Luica Dacanay in swimming won the MVP in each of their five seasons.

Meanwhile, University of the East libero Kath Arado bested La Salle’s Dawn Macandili in the race for Best Digger and Best Receiver honors, logging an average of 6.72 digs per set and receiving with an efficiency of 53.07 percent against the Lady Spikers’ ace 6.34 and 52.31 percent.

La Salle’s Desiree Cheng took the Best Server accolade with 35 aces and 0.66 average while Ateneo’s Deanna Wong, who had big shoes to fill after the exit of Jia Morado, won Best Setter honors with 8.54 sets per frame and UST’s Milena Alessandrini was adjudged Rookie of the Year.