Mark Calado celebrates during FEU’s win over UE in the UAAP Season 85 men’s volleyball tournament. UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Far Eastern University star Mark Calado emerged as the top scorer and best spiker of the first round in the UAAP Season 85 men’s volleyball tournament, while University of Santo Tomas super rookie Josh Ybanez was in the Top 10 of every skills department.
Calado was the top-scoring men’s volleyball player after seven games with 151 points built on 133 kills, 15 blocks, and three service aces, followed by Ybanez, who tallied a total of 147 points off 118 attacks, 14 blocks, and 15 aces.
Ateneo rookie Jian Salarzon was No.3 in scoring with 106 points, UST’s Jay Rack De La Noche was No.4 with 105 points, and La Salle’s JM Ronquillo completed the top 5 with 103 markers, followed by Golden Spiker Rey De Vega (101), University of the East star Ken Culabat (100), National University’s Nico Almendras (98), University of the Philippines’ Angelo Lagando (97), and Green Spiker Noel Kampton (95).
Calado was also the best spiker with a 45.70% attacking rate, ahead of Almendras with 43.98% at No.2. Ybanez emerged as No.3 with a 43.07% success rate, followed by UE pair Lloyd Josafat (40.83%) and JM Andaya (40.56%).
Josh Ybanez. UAAP PHOTO
Ybanez has made a strong case for the Rookie of the Year and MVP award as he has been in the Top 10 of every skills department, emerging as the Best Server with 0.54 aces per set, 10th Best Blocker with 0.50 blocks per frame, second best receiver with 55.97% efficiency rate, and ninth best digger with 1.68 digs per frame.
Behind Ybanez in the service department were his teammates De La Noche and De Vega averaging 0.43 and 0.32 aces per set, respectively. UST emerged as the best serving team with 1.43 aces per frame way ahead of NU (0.81).
NU Congolese middle blocker Obed Mukaba led in blocking with 1.04 kill blocks per set, followed by La Salle’s BJ Anima with 0.88 blocks per set, Salarzon (0.76), Adamson’s Mark Coguimbal (0.71), and Michaelo Buddin (0.62).
Bulldogs playmaker Joshua Retamar was the Top Setter with 5.27 excellent sets per frame, leading Paul Serrano of La Salle, who averaged 5.04 sets per frame.
Three spikers were the Best Receivers of the first round with Culabat leading the way with a 58.60% efficiency rate, followed by Ybanez, and Almendras (55.74%). FEU libero Bryce De Guzman was No.4 with 55.08%, while Ateneo libero Lance De Castro made it to the Top 5 with 53.06%.
De Castro was second in digs with 3.20 digs per set, behind leader Menard Guerrero of La Salle, who averaged 3.25 digs per frame.
The second round of men’s volleyball will resume with a quadruple header on Saturday at FilOil EcoOil Centre with unbeaten leader NU (7-0) taking on La Salle (4-3) at 12 noon.
No.3 FEU (5-2) battles winless UP (0-7) at 10 a.m. Ateneo (3-4) and UE (2-5) clash at 2 p.m., while Top 2 team UST (6-1) takes on Adamson (1-6) at 4 p.m. to cap the day.