BELLA Belen is the belle of the ball again.
National U’s graduating captain is the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball MVP.
She becomes the third player in league history to win the MVP plum thrice after Ateneo legend Alyssa Valdez (Seasons 76 to 78) and Far Eastern University stalwart Monica Aleta (Seasons 63 to 65).
In total, Belen is also the fourth back-to-back women’s volleyball MVP following Valdez, Aleta and former La Salle captain Aby Maraño (Seasons 74 and 75).
READ: Belen tallies finals triple-double two days after college graduation
It was a landslide win for Belen who had 96.266 statistical points (SP) — roughly 22 more than her closest competitor in serial record breaker-slash-Rookie of the Year winner Shaina Nitura.
Adamson’s rookie-captain garnered 74.259 SP in a debut season like no other where she shattered five UAAP records capped by a league-best 371-point production across all divisions.
Belen was everywhere in the statistical race across five skill areas where she led in spiking with a 37.66 success rate and in serving with 30 aces (0.57 aces per set), third in receiving (44.44 percent efficiency), fourth in scoring with 246 points and fifth in digging with 2.79 excellent digs per set.
The NU skipper also collected her third best outside spiker award with 381 ranking points (RP) ahead of her title rival and fellow rookie-MVP winner in La Salle captain Angel Canino (250 RP) who was second-overall in scoring with 264 points, fourth in spiking (35.78 percent success rate), ninth in blocking (0.45 per set) and seventh in receiving (41.64 efficiency).
Meanwhile, Nitura finished third in the top outside hitter race with 245 RP. She also ranked sixth in serving (0.24 aces per set), eighth in blocking (0.46 blocks per set) and ninth in spiking (34.65 percent success rate).
La Salle, NU, UP complete winners' circle
The best middle blocker nod stays with La Salle for a fourth straight year as Amie Provido kept the top defending award in Taft after Thea Gagate's three-peat with 179 RP (30 blocks; 0.55 per set).
For the second straight season, Niña Ytang will also be feted as a top middle blocker with 166 RP from 30 total blocks and 0.54 blocks per set.
University of the East's Riza Nogales (161 RP), who topped the blocking department with 45 blocks and 0.92 per set, dropped to third in the awards race by virtue of an inferior quotient in spiking and serving which yielded a lower RP output.
Two more Lady Spikers join this year's roster of awardees as Shevana Laput (275 RP) copped the best opposite hitter plum ahead of University of Santo Tomas' Reg Jurado (189 RP) and former winner in NU's Alyssa Solomon (187 SP).
At 6-foot-2, the Fil-Australian winger's 37.43 percent spiking success rate was second-best in the league just like her serving with 22 aces and 0.40 per set.
Blocking-wise, she was fifth with 0.51 blocks per set.
Floor general Lyka de Leon (210 RP) became La Salle's fourth top performing ace of the season after dethroning two-time winner in UST captain Detdet Pepito (202 RP).
The Lady Spiker sophomore bested the field in receptions (47.31 percent efficiency) and was fourth in digs (2.84 digs per set) to oust the Golden Tigresses captain, who was second in digs (3.96 digs per set) and fourth in receptions (42.38 percent efficiency).
Season 84 best setter in National U's Lams Lamina reclaimed the top playmaking award from Season 86 best setter in UST's Cassie Carballo by eight ranking points at 185 RP to 177 RP.
Lamina normed 5.34 excellent sets per set ahead of Carballo's 4.89 average.
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