La Salle’s Angel Canino named UAAP women’s volleyball rookie MVP

La Salle’s rookie sensation Angel Canino. —UAAP PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Angel Canino was crowned as the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.

The 19-year-old Canino made history as the second female spiker to become a Rookie MVP after National University star Bella Belen’s trailblazing freshman year last Season 84.

The prized rookie, who hails from Bacolod and played for La Salle-Zobel in high school, received the two prestigious awards including the 2nd Best Outside Hitter hours before the Lady Spikers’ play in Game 2, where they seek to sweep the Lady Bulldogs and end a five-year title drought.

“First of all I just want to thank God para sa blessing po na binigay niya po sakin, sa gift na binigay niya na makapag-share po ako sa volleyball community at maka-inspire po ako sa mga bata,” said Canino, who became the ninth Lady Spiker to win a season MVP. “To the La Salle community who are here, thank you so much for supporting us. Thank you for showing your love. Thank you for believing in us, sa trust na binibigay niyo. Sa mga coaches na nag-handle sa akin when I started my volleyball journey, to my parents, my number one coach ever since I started, coach Tina Salak, and to everyone na nakatulong po sa akin, maraming-maraming salamat po.”

“Sa lahat po ng nandito, pangako po na hindi kami titigil hangga’t hindi po nababalik yung korona sa La Salle,” she added.

Canino has been a game-changer for La Salle as she led last season’s runner-up to win 13 of its 14 games in the elimination round, emerging as the third top scorer with a total of 227 points built on 195 spikers, 21 blocks, and 13 aces — behind best scorer Eya Laure (268 points) and Faith Nisperos (228) and finishing fourth in spiking with a 36.42 percent efficiency, fourth in reception with a 40.85 percent rate, seventh in service with 0.27 ace per set, and ninth in blocking with 0.44 kill blocks per frame.

She accumulated 89.375 statistical points (SP) edging out teammate Jolina Dela Cruz with 86.875 SP and University of Santo Tomas’ Eya Laure with 84.074 SP in the tight race for the top individual prize.

The 5-foot-11 rookie also shone in every skills department in becoming the latest Lady Spiker since Majoy Baron won the top honor in Season 79 last 2017.

Canino was also La Salle’s first rookie of the year since Ara Galang earned the plum in Season 74 last 2012.

La Salle’s Jolina Dela Cruz. UAAP PHOTO

Besides Canino, three other Lady Spikers received individual awards with senior Dela Cruz emerging as the 1st Best Outside Spiker, ranking eighth in spiking, seventh in blocking, third in service, fifth in reception, and 11th in digging, totaling 289 ranking points (RP) behind Canino, who tallied 298 RP.

Laure finished third with 286 RPs.

Thea Gagate, who led the blocking department with an average of 0.69 per set, won her second straight 1st Best Middle award, while team captain Mars Alba emerged as the Best Setter — the first La Sallian to earn the recognition since Kim Fajardo ruled back-to-back in Seasons 78 and 79.

Alba averaged 4.48 excellent sets per period and was first in service with 0.50 aces per frame, boosting her RP to 235. Camilla Lamina of NU placed second with 211 RP.

University of the Philippines stalwart Nina Ytang was named as 2nd Best Middle Blocker. Far Eastern University’s Jovelyn Fernandez nabbed the Best Opposite Spiker, while University of Santo Tomas’ defensive specialist Detdet Pepito claimed the Best Libero plum, ranking second in reception (51.16 percent) and third in digging (3.57 per set), totaling 212 RP. 

No one from NU won an individual award after bagging seven of nine awards last year including Belen’s top rookie and Season 84 MVP trophies, while Laure, who emerged as back-to-back Best Scorer, wasn’t part of UAAP’s best seven for the second straight year.

Since UAAP Season 81, the league has been adopting the FIVB-position based awards.

The statistical points are computed by adding all the Rank Points of each player and multiplying the sum by 10. Games won are also included and multiplied by 30. The grand total is then divided by the number of sets played by the player’s team.

Rank Points are determined by the player’s place in each department, with each rank having corresponding Rank Points.

The cutoff has always been set after the elimination round.