Valdez, Galang pace volley MVP race

MANILA, Philippines - Alyssa Valdez of unbeaten leader Ateneo and Ara Galang of second-running La Salle have made a strong case in their bids for the Most Valuable Player plum as they figured prominently in key statistical departments at the halfway mark of the UAAP Season 77 women’s volleyball tournament.

Reigning MVP Valdez, who scored 23 and 26 in a hectic, two-game slates over two days against University of the East and rival La Salle, solidified her position as the league’s leading scorer with a total of 155 points built around 127 spikes, 11 blocks and 17 service aces.

The AdMU skipper emerged as the second-best spiker in the first round, logging a 40.19 percent success rate, while also placing No. 2 in the chase for Best Server with an average of 0.68 per outing. Valdez ran 10th in blocking with a 0.44 average per set.

Galang, a former co-MVP, also put in big numbers in the first salvo of action.

Galang ranked first among servers with 18 aces and 0.72 average per set and stood third in scoring with 126 points, fifth in blocking with 0.64, seventh in receiving with 22.61 percent efficiency, eighth in spiking with 33.21 percent success rate and ninth in dig with 1.84 per set.

Jaja Santiago of resurgent National U (4-3) led the way in the spiking category with a 40.84 percent efficiency while Marivic Meneses of University of Santo Tomas was the leading blocker (0.96 average per set), Arielle Estranero of University of the Philippines was top digger (2.81 average per set), and Ateneo stalwarts Julia Morado and Denden Lazaro were No. 1 setter (8.96 average per set), and receiver (30.93 percent efficiency), respectively.

Meanwhile, Adamson University grabbed a share of the men’s volleyball lead after nipping Far Eastern U in straight set, 25-20, 25-21, 25-23, in the “replay” of their cancelled match yesterday at the MOA Arena.