Every week, INQUIRER Sports will be ranking the seven best performers in the UAAP Season 79 women’s volleyball tournament. The author will base the rankings on the players’ team placings, statistics and observation.
The UAAP Season 79 women’s volleyball tournament has reached fever pitch.
Final Four positioning is of utmost importance right now with Ateneo (9-1) and defending champion De La Salle (8-2) inching closer to locking up the first and second seeds while University of Santo Tomas (6-4) and National University (6-4) having the inside track for the third and fourth spots.
Yes, the Golden Tigresses and the Lady Bulldogs are currently in the Final Four picture but one slip could see Far Eastern University (5-5) and University of the Philippines (5-5) making their move.
Well that’s enough babble, here are INQUIRER’s top seven players for Week 7.
1. Jia Morado (Ateneo de Manila University, setter)
Last week: No. 1
Weeks on list: 5
Ateneo’s Jia Morado. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
First thing’s first, this list is purely based on team records, statistics, and objective observation so for anyone claiming that this list could be biased (or that the author has a crush on Jia Morado) well it is not.
With that out of the way, here goes.
Ateneo’s league-best 9-1 record has been the handiwork of Morado who’s been setting up the Lady Eagles as if she’s strumming a six-string Fender.
In Ateneo’s two games in the week, Morado averaged 33 excellent sets per match.
Morado’s greatness was in full display when she recorded 39 excellent sets against Far Eastern University when the Lady Eagles won in five sets, 25-20, 25-22, 17-25, 21-25, 15-8.
For comparison, FEU tallied 40 excellent sets as a team.
2. Jaja Santiago (National University, middle blocker)
Last week: N/A
Weeks on list: 3
NU’s Jaja Santiago. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
For a player of Jaja Santiago’s caliber, it’s surprising she’s figured in this list just three times.
Santiago is the leading scorer of the tournament but when her team underwent a slump midway through the season the fun-loving NU spiker has been left off for a number of weeks.
Fortunately for Santiago, the Lady Bulldogs played just one game this week and it resulted in a win against University of the East, 25-15, 25-21, 22-25, 25-21.
Santiago was on fire in the game, unloading 23 points, 20 off spikes and three off blocks.
The towering Santiago played the crucial stretch of the fourth set in the back row as NU head coach Roger Gorayeb gambled and left off his liberos in the final set and in the last points of the match Santiago was stuck in the back row, an area of concern for Santiago considering her lanky frame isn’t built for digging and receiving.
Santiago, despite standing 6-foot-5 and used to playing in the air, had her moments as the de facto libero.
3. Mary Joy Baron (De La Salle University, middle blocker)
Last week: No. 3
Weeks on list: 2
La Salle’s Mary Joy Baron. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Mary Joy Baron is back in the list and she’s returned to her original rank as the third-best player this week.
La Salle had just one game this week and it was a resounding vengeance against University of the Philippines.
The Lady Spikers lost in three sets against the Lady Maroons in the first round but the fortunes have turned in the second with the defending champions scoring a 27-25, 25-11, 25-17 win.
Baron was front and center in the triumph as she led La Salle with 16 points, and that can be broken down to seven spikes, six service aces, and three blocks.
Talk about a well-rounded offensive game.
4. Jhoana Maraguinot (Ateneo de Manila University, outside hitter)
Last week: No. 4
Weeks on list: 3
Ateneo’s Jhoana Maraguinot. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Jhoana Maraguinot was the fourth-best player last week, well ‘lo and behold she’s at that spot this time again.
With Ateneo going 2-0 this week, Maraguinot averaged 17.5 points a match and that mark was the highest for the Lady Eagles during this stretch of the season.
Maraguinot became the focal point of Ateneo’s offense during the Lady Eagles’ win over the Lady Tamaraws scoring 23 points.
Ateneo assistant coach Sherwin Meneses even said that they had to go to Maraguinot when things got tough during the game.
“When we needed those points we had to go Jho or else we would’ve been in big trouble,” said Meneses.
5. Cherry Rondina (University of Santo Tomas, outside hitter)
Last week: N/A
Weeks on list: 3
UST’s Cherry Rondina. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Cherry Rondina’s boundless energy has once more propelled her to this list.
And though, UST finished 1-1 this week, Rondina’s intensity can’t be overlooked.
In the Golden Tigresses’ loss to Ateneo, 25-10, 26-24, 28-26, Rondina was the lone player in black-and-gold to finish in double-digit scoring with 14 points.
Rondina basically willed UST to survival in the third set against Ateneo but the Golden Tigresses eventually lost steam against the Lady Eagles.
It was in UST’s next game against Adamson University, which it won 25-12, 25-18, 22-25, 25-19, where Rondina eventually got the support she needed.
Rondina’s 18 points against the Lady Falcons were a game-high and she wasn’t the only Golden Tigress to produce more than 10 points.
EJ Laure had 14 points in the Adamson game while Pam Lastimosa and Ria Meneses scoring 11 apiece.
6. Kim Kianna Dy (De La Salle University, opposite hitter)
Last week: No. 2
Weeks on list: 5
La Salle’s Kim Dy. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Surprise, surprise, Kim Kianna Dy is on this list again.
As La Salle’s talisman who barely averages 13 points a game, Dy is not the most prolific scorer in the league.
But when you’re team’s winning, individual numbers aren’t that much of a priority.
Dy finished with 11 points against UP and nine of those came from spikes.
And it may not show in public, the trademark La Sallian swagger has slowly manifested in Dy.
7. Jorelle Singh (National University, outside hitter)
Weeks on list: 1
NU’s Jorelle Singh. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
The second round is nearing its finish but it’s still not too late to welcome a newcomer in our top 7.
This is Jorelle Singh’s first time and she fully deserves this spot.
Singh, NU’s co-captain, was left in front of the net when their middle blocker was stationed at the back due to the team’s rotation.
No matter, Singh held the fort for NU as she finished with 17 points to help the Lady Bulldogs over the Lady Warriors.
Singh’s best play of that match was a perfectly-executed combination play when Santiago played bait and Singh launching a meteor-of-a-spike to give NU a 19-17 lead in the fourth set.