UST pride: Cherry Rondina is UAAP Season 81 MVP, Eya Laure is Rookie of Year

Cherry Rondina, left, and Eya Laure celebrate a point. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—University of Santo Tomas’ high-scoring duo of Cherry Rondina and Eya Laure are set to receive the highest individual honors in the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball tournament.

Rondina will be named Season MVP while Laure will take home the Rookie of the Year plum in the awarding ceremonies before Game 2 of the Finals after leading the Golden Tigresses to a 10-4 record and a spot in this year’s finals.

READ: Finals-bound Sisi Rondina, UST far from done

Rondina also takes home the Best Scorer and second Best Outside Hitter award while Laure is recognized as the first Best Outside Hitter.

UST superstar Cherry Rondina. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

UST’s pair was the league’s top scorers throughout the season with Rondina finishing atop with 259 total points while Laure came in at second at 230 points.

National University’s Roselyn Doria is the league’s first Best Middle Blocker while Ateneo’s Maddie Madayag is second Best Middle Blocker.

Another Lady Eagle is going to take home an individual award with Kat Tolentino getting the nod as the Best Opposite Hitter.

READ: Kat Tolentino comes alive to lead Lady Eagles rally

The Lady Bulldogs’ Princess Robles will be named Best Server after tallying a league-best 26 service aces, tied with Far Eastern University’s Kyle Negrito, and averaged .48 ace a set.

University of the East’s duo of Kath Arado and Lai Bendong will be named Best Libero and Best Setter, respectively.

This was the first time in the collegiate tournament that the league changed its awards format to conform to international standards set by the FIVB, volleyball’s world governing body, and AVC.

It is also format being used in the NCAA, Philippine Super Liga, Premier Volleyball League, and even the UAAP Girls’ Division.

The UAAP used to follow previous skills-based awards that named the Best Attacker, Best Scorer, Best Server, Best Blocker, Best Digger, Best Receiver, and Best Setter.

NU’s Bryan Bagunas is the UAAP men’s volleyball MVP. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

In the men’s side of things, NU’s Bryan Bagunas will be named MVP, first Best Outside Hitter, Best Scorer, and Best Server.

Bagunas amassed 285 total points and had a league-best 21 service aces of 0.47 per set.

READ: NU thrashes Adamson, advances to 7th straight UAAP finals

The Tamaraws’ Jude Garcia and John Paul Bugaoan will take home the second Best second Best Outside Hitter, and first Best Middle Blocker trophies.

Ateneo’s Chumason Njigha is the league’s second Best Middle Blocker while his teammates Lawrence Magadia and Manuel Sumanguid are the Best Setter and Best Libero, respectively.

The Bulldogs’ Angelo Almendras will be the league’s Rookie of the Year.