UAAP: Rookie Shaina Nitura leading all scorers after first round
Adamson’s Shaina Nitura during a game against UP in UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball.-MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Adamson rookie Shaina Nitura topped all scorers at the end of the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball first round.
Nitura displayed her offensive prowess in the first seven games of the season, finishing with a total of 170 points off 152 kills, 10 blocks, and eight aces.
She capped off her stellar first-round outing with a record-setting 38-point game, surpassing the previous record held by Ateneo ace Alyssa Valdez in Season 75 in 2013 and University of Santo Tomas standout Sisi Rondina in Season 81 in 2019.
READ: UAAP: Rookie Shaina Nitura sets scoring record in Adamson loss
Last year’s best scorer Angge Poyos, who had 291 points in her first season with the University of Santo Tomas, was second behind Nitura with 136 points built on 116 spikes, 13 blocks, and seven aces.
La Salle’s Shevana Laput came in third with 122 points, followed by her teammate Angel Canino and UST’s Reg Jurado with 118 each. National University star Alyssa Solomon was sixth with 116 points.
NU outside spiker Vange Alinsug was the Best Spiker of the first round with 41.67 percent efficiency. AC Miner was No.2 with 38.74 percent attack rate, followed by Laput (37.21%), Solomon (35.96%), and Jurado (35.05%).
Two-time MVP Bella Belen was the top server with 0.68 aces per set, way ahead of second-best server Laput with 0.46 aces per set. Far Eastern University setter Tin Ubaldo was No.3 with 0.36, followed by Khy Cepada of the University of the East (0.33) and Ateneo’s Yvana Sulit (0.32).
UE’s Riza Nogales was the top blocker with 0.78 blocks per set. Solomon was behind her with a 0.64 average. La Salle’s Lilay Del Castillo was third with 0.62, leading her teammates Laput (0.54), Canino (0.50), and Amie Provido (0.50).
READ: Shaina Nitura says losses will make Adamson better
Lams Lamina and Cassie Carballo were the Best Setters of the first round with 5.08 and 4.62 excellent sets per frame, respectively.
UE libero Angelica Reyes was the Best Digger of the round with 4.26 digs per set, leading reigning Best Libero Detdet Pepito of UST (4.21), NU’s Shaira Jardio (2.92), Adamson’s Juris Manuel (2.78), and Lyka De Leon (2.65).
Adamson libero Manuel was the Best Receiver with 43.57 percent efficiency, leading Jardio (41.76%), De Leon (40.70%), Canino (34.93%), and Belen (33.58%).
In the men’s division, Ateneo’s Ken Batas led all scorers in the first round with 142 points off 122 kills, 10 blocks, and 10 aces.
FEU’s Mikko Espartero, one of the key players to their first-round sweep, was the top spiker with a 50 percent attack rate. Leo Coguimbal of Adamson was the top blocker with 1.12 blocks per set. UST middle blocker Poy Colinares was the top server with 0.46 aces per set.
UST setter Dux Yambao led all playmakers with 5.13 excellent sets per frame. FEU libero Vennie Ceballos was the top digger with 2.50 digs per set, while NU libero Jimwell Gapultos was the best receiver with a 55.78% efficiency rate.
