Pestrana, Mondoñedo join top awardees

Cloanne Mondoñedo

University of Santo Tomas’ Kent Pestrana and St. Benilde’s Cloanne Mondoñedo may get lost amid the big names when the Collegiate Press Corps awards six athletes as its Players of the Year on June 17.

After all, two of the biggest names in the current college scene—National University’s volleyball ace Bella Belen and La Salle’s do-it-all big Kevin Quiambao—will be among the six to be honored by sports journalists covering the varsity beat.

But Pestrana and Mondoñedo, among with similarly lesser-heralded honorees Louie Ramirez of Perpetual’s dynastic men’s volleyball team and Joshua Retamar of “four-peat” champions National U, certainly have the credentials to back their nominations.

Pestrana, for one, spearheaded a relentless bunch of Tigresses who stunned the UAAP women’s basketball scene by putting an end to the Lady Bulldogs’ seven-year reign as champions. In a show of grit, UST eked out a dramatic series victory over NU, brining the women’s trophy back to España after nearly two decades.

Unbroken streak

Mondoñedo, meanwhile, pulled off a feat that doesn’t happen much in volleyball: The Lady Blazers playmaker won the women’s MVP trophy—an award normally contested by spikers and middle blockers—after steering St. Benilde to the NCAA women’s crown.

Mondoñedo’s quarterbacking also preserved St. Benilde’s unbroken winning streak, which has now reached 40 games.

Retamar, meanwhile, led NU as it preserved its hold of men’s volleyball superiority in the UAAP, the same achievement by Ramirez, who led Perpetual to the championship en route to winning the NCAA MVP award.

Quiambao and Belen hardly need any introduction.Belen was named MVP of Season 86’s women’s volleyball tournament and then steered the Lady Bulldogs to the UAAP crown.

Quiambao, meanwhile was season MVP and Finals MVP as he reinstalled La Salle back to the top of UAAP men’s basketball. —INQUIRER SPORTS STAFF