Ateneo's Batas rules with UAAP Season 87 volleyball MVP plum

MANILA, Philippines — No one is above Batas.

Ateneo’s Kennedy Batas has been officially named the UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball Most Valuable Player.

Batas led the Blue Eagles, who missed the Final Four bus with a 7-7 win-loss record.

His high-scoring exploits the whole season flung him to the top with 79.815 statistical points, almost five more points than MVP runner-up Noel Kampton, who had 74.906 SPs.

The 23-year-old Batas finished second in scoring with 263 total points on a 44.79 accuracy in spiking. He was also fourth in aces with an average of 0.30 per set.

He also ranked within the top 10 in reception (fifth with 50.565) and digging (eighth with 1.35 per set).

After the awarding, Batas said that the MVP award will be a huge boost for him and his team moving forward.

“Siguro, it's a booster for me na kailangan ko pang hindi mag-end dito yung journey ko. Dapat mag-hard work pa rin. And siguro, inspiration na rin sa amin yun ng team na if kinaya ko, then kakayanin din nila,” he told reporters.

“It's a statement sa amin na sobrang effective nung sistema namin. Though, hindi namin na-reach yung goal namin this season, parang, alam namin na meron pang itataas yung sistema na meron kami,” he added.

“So, I think, malaki yung chance na makakabawi kami next season.”

And despite him winning the MVP, Batas said he has a lot more goals in the UAAP.

“Sa akin talaga, pinaka-motivation ko na is yung UAAP talaga sobrang dream ko siya. So, hindi siya nakukuha nang basta-basta. So, yun yung naging reason ko kung bakit gusto kong bumalik,” he said.

“Kasi, yun nga, hindi pa ako tapos sa UAAP. Meron pa akong goal, sarili ko at sa team.”

UST’s JJ Macam was named as Rookie of the Year.

Macam, who wound up third in the MVP race, had 74.681 SPs. He is leaps and bounds ahead of other rookies this season.

Batas and Macam were named as Best Outside Spikers of the team with 289 and 259 ranking points, respectively.

UST’s Popoy Colinares and Adamson’s Leo Coguimbal, for their part, were awarded Best Middle Blockers with 227 and 182 RPs.

Ateneo’s Amil Pacinio was named Best Opposite Spiker, with UST’s Dux Yambao was tagged Best Setter and Menard Guerrero, Best Libero.

The awards were handed out prior to Game 2 of the best-of-three finals between the Far Eastern University Tamaraws and the National University Bulldogs.