Amy Ahomiro
By Vincent Soliven
THERE IS no doubt that Amy Ahomiro played a vital role in the Lady Eagles’ undefeated championship run in the 77th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The Kiwi capped off the season by being awarded the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Ahomiro is considered the glue-girl of the squad, as she is seen as a jack-of-all-trades player—she is able to contribute in all aspects of the floor.
Ahomiro blossomed under Coach Anusorn “Tai” Bundit as she saw additional minutes as the middle spiker under his direction. Her versatility on the court is an asset for setters, as they already know what kind of ball to play when Ahomiro readies for an attack. Throughout the season, Ahomiro has scored quite a number from dazzling sets for she has quick attacks in her arsenal that usually catch the defense off guard.
The veteran also has the power needed to beat blockers and the skill of excellent ball placement to find any open space on the enemy floor. On the defensive end, Ahomiro did the dirty work that may have gone unnoticed by the casual spectator.
Ahomiro’s great ability of anticipation and foresight led the Lady Eagles in their offensive and defensive game. She scored 10 points in the first match of the Finals series and seven in the title-clinching game.
Andy Tan
By Jamie S. Katigbak
BAGGING THE Most Valuable Player (MVP) award twice in two consecutive championships, supersenior Andy Tan has made quite the name for himself in the diamond throughout his career in collegiate baseball. With a deadly left arm that made lethal by experience on both local and foreign ground, the reigning MVP and star pitcher has lifted the Blue Batters to victory the past two seasons, closing the Finals games with terrific performances on the mound in both years.
A graduate of PAREF Southridge School and a product of the International Little League Association of Manila, where he shared the stage on local and international soil with high school classmate and team captain Adriane Bernardo, Tan has consistently delivered for the Blue Batters by throwing strikeouts and striking gold. He pitched a total of seven innings in last year’s finals and eight innings this season to harbor the Ateneo defense. His performance contributed to yet another finals sweep against rivals De La Salle University, scoring the Blue Batters another trophy for the third year in a row.
Sadly, with six players becoming alumni as the season comes to a close, it is Tan’s last year to don the blue and white. But with three championships and two individual awards under his belt, the senior can leave with his cap and his head held high.
Marck Espejo
By Jeremias Esguerra
It’s rare to see the words rookie and Most Valuable Player (MVP) go together in the field of sports. Last year, however, Espejo of the Ateneo Men’s Volleyball team won both the Rookie of the Year (ROY) and the MVP awards in the same season. His high-powered offense led the Blue Eagles to their first finals stint in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ men’s volleyball history.
This year, Espejo bagged another double award, getting the MVP once again–and this year, instead of the ROY, he got the Best Attacker award, having a tremendous 50.98% success rate in his spikes. For the MVP award, he finished the season with 93.269 statistical points, and was the clear winner, as the distant second in the MVP race was Mark Gil Alfafara of the University of Santo Tomas, who garnered a total of 86.923 statistical points.
Hailing from Sta. Elena High School in Marikina City, Espejo has come a long way from the time Coach Oliver Almadro scouted him in the National Capital Region (NCR) meet at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium way back in 2010. Ever since joining the Blue Eagles, he has lead the team to two straight Finals appearances, and won the second one, giving Ateneo its first volleyball championship in the UAAP. With three years left, only time will tell how many individual awards and championships he can help bring to Loyola Heights, and for sure, everyone will be watching.
Alyssa Valdez
By Gian Y. Go
PERFECTION IS an understatement when it comes to Alyssa Valdez’s performance in Season 77 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).
The Ateneo Lady Eagles completed the first 16-0 sweep in UAAP history after cruising through an undefeated 14-game elimination round and dominating perennial rivals De La Salle University, 2-0, in the finals.
Not only did the Lady Eagles capture back-to-back titles, but Valdez was also adjudged as back-to-back Most Valuable Player. She was at the forefront of every Ateneo attack—the spiker was awarded back-to-back Best Server and Best Scorer awards. Baldo, as she is fondly called, tallied a total of 312 points throughout the entire 14-game elimination round. This number can be broken down to 262 spikes, 32 service aces and 18 blocks en route to an average of 22.28 points per game.
Valdez not only was successful in the UAAP scene but was also awarded Ms. Volleyball from the Philippine Sportswriter’s Association last February.
What’s next for this graduating psychology major? She has made it clear that she’s aiming to take her skills to the next step as she intends to be a part of the Under-23 pool for our national team.
