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.
It’s on to the final stretch.
The UAAP Season 79 women’s volleyball tournament is in its final two days but the Final Four spots are yet to be cemented.
De La Salle and Ateneo are firmly on top at the first two seeds, but the third and fourth are still up for grabs.
University of Santo Tomas is temporarily at the third spot with an 8-5 slate while University of the Philippines, Far Eastern University, and National University are squeezing in to fight for the fourth seed.
But, enough of that, it’s all about the top players of this week and here they are.
1. Mary Joy Baron (De La Salle University, middle blocker)
Last week: N/A
Weeks on list: 3
La Salle’s Major Baron. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Mary Joy Baron has been the presence for the defending champions this week as she helped De La Salle keep its immaculate second round and take the top seed with an 11-2 card.
In the two games they’ve played, Baron averaged exactly 10 points per game but it was her 13-point performance against Adamson University that’s worth the notice.
Baron took care of the scoring cudgels for the Lady Spikers with talisman Kim Kianna Dy taking a break after spraining her ankle in their Wednesday game against UST.
2. Dawn Macandili (De La Salle University, libero)
Last week: N/A
Weeks on list: 3
La Salle’s Dawn Macandili. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
It’s been more than a month since Dawn Macandili made an appearance in this list, but that drought is over as the Best Digger and Best Receiver of Season 78 finally made her presence felt.
Numbers really don’t do Macandili do justice, she did average 10 receptions and 17.5 excellent digs this past week, since her glorious defense is just mesmerizing to watch.
If Baron takes care of the aerial defense, Macandili takes care of those meteoric spikes that almost always result to points.
Macandili is not afraid to throw her diminutive body straight to the floor, and if a ball’s on its way down it’s almost certain she put herself between it and the ground.
3. Bernadeth Pons (Far Eastern University, outside hitter)
Last week: N/A
Weeks on list: 2
FEU’s Bernadeth Pons. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
The OG stat stuffer is back.
Bernadeth Pons does not only score but she also does the little dirty work usually reserved for the liberos.
The Lady Tamaraws made its case known as a credible Final Four threat winning their two games this week as they improved to 7-6 and it’s thanks to no small part to Pons’ efforts.
Pons averaged 13.5 points and 11 receptions this week.
She was also vital in their three-set win over NU, 25-21, 25-21, 25-22, as she finished with 16 points and 16 receptions.
4. Ria Meneses (University of Santo Tomas, middle blocker)
Weeks on list: 1
UST’s Ria Meneses (Middle). Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
It’s the final week of the eliminations but there’s still a newcomer.
Ria Meneses announced her arrival to this list with a block party like no other.
In their match against UP, with the winner taking sole possession of third seed, the reigning Best Blocker put up 10 points and eight those were blocks as UST won 25-20, 25-21, 25-16.
This was a huge improvement after they lost in straight sets to La Salle, 25-23, 25-22, 25-21, where Meneses did not register a single block.
Meneses eight blocks against UP was four more than what the Lady Maroons put up.
5. Jia Morado (Ateneo de Manila University, setter)
Last week: 2
Weeks on list: 7
Ateneo’s Jia Morado. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
This is Jia Morado’s seventh appearance in this list but this is her second-lowest rank since she became the no.6 player in Week 3.
Nevertheless, Morado is still, arguably, the best setter this season when she registered 26 excellent sets against UE with Ateneo improving to 11-2 ahead of its rematch against La Salle.
Not only did Morado set up her teammates, she also did some scoring as she finished with nine points and the second-leading scorer in the win behind Kat Tolentino.
6. Cherry Rondina (University of Santo Tomas, outside hitter)
Last week: No. 7
Weeks on list: 5
UST’s Cherry Rondina. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Count on Cherry Rondina to always perform for the Golden Tigresses.
Though UST went 1-1 this week, the Golden Tigresses win over the Lady Maroons was a vital one and Rondina was still involved in the bulk of her team’s offense.
In UST’s past two games, Rondina averaged 13.5 points, the highest scoring average for UST this week.
7. Kim Kianna Dy (De La Salle University, opposite hitter)
Last week: N/A
Weeks on list: 6
Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Kim Kianna Dy’s calling card this season has been consistency and that also speaks true to this list.
Outside of Morado, Dy has the most appearances in this list.
And though she played just one game this week, she missed the other due to injury, her 12 points against UST is still at par with her season average of exactly 12 points a game.