Kevin Quiambao, Kent Pastrana, Bella Belen, and Joshua Retamar will be recognized as the collegiate season’s cream of the crop at the Collegiate Press Corps’ (CPC) Annual Awards Night, presented by San Miguel Corporation, on June 17 at the Discovery Suites Manila in Ortigas, Pasig.
For the first time ever, the CPC will bestow its highest individual honor to the best aces of women’s basketball and men’s volleyball, as college scribes celebrate the continuous ascent of both sports in the ceremony, also backed by the Philippine Sports Commission.
As central figures in two monumental title runs, La Salle’s Kevin Quiambao will be hailed as the UAAP Men’s Basketball Player of the Year following a hat-trick of golden honors: Season 86 MVP, Finals MVP, and first-time champion, ending the Green Archers’ seven-year championship drought.
University of Santo Tomas’ Kent Pastrana will take the sole distinction as the inaugural UAAP Women’s Basketball POTY, having seized España’s first hoops crown in nearly two decades and ended National University’s dynastic seven-year reign.
Highlighting volleyball’s steady rise are this year’s title-winning quartet of hard-hitters and playmakers in both collegiate leagues.
Bella Belen and Owa Retamar of National University will be named the UAAP Women’s and Men’s Volleyball POTY.
(C) Joaqui Flores/UAAP Season 86 Media Team
Belen’s ever-reliable offense and newfound defensive prowess made her only the UAAP’s fifth multiple-time women’s volleyball MVP.
In his final act for the Bulldogs, Retamar orchestrated NU’s four-peat title run to perfection, earning back-to-back Finals MVP awards and Best Setter honors before embarking on national team duties for Alas Pilipinas just weeks after a fairytale finish to his college career.
Pastrana will be joined by her teammate and Season 86 Finals MVP Tantoy Ferrer, FEU Lady Tamaraws’ Josee Kaputu, Rookie of the Year UP Fighting Maroons’ Favour Onoh, and Season MVP Ateneo’s Kacey Dela Rosa on the women’s basketball mythical team.
Mapua’s Clint Escamis, the NCAA Season 99 Rookie of the Year-MVP, UP’S Malick Diouf, Lyceum’s Enoch Valdez, and former San Beda Red Lion Jacob Cortez complete the CPC Men’s Basketball Mythical Team.
St. Benilde’s Clo Mondoñedo and Perpetual’s Louie Ramirez are the NCAA Players of the Year for volleyball.
