Bella Belen first-ever three-time Collegiate Player of the Year
FOR the first time in the history of the Collegiate Press Corps, there's a three-time Player of the Year.
Bella Belen continued to be volleyball's best in her last year Clint Escamis reigning as basketball's finest, as the two stars headline the 2025 San Miguel Corporation-Collegiate Press Corps Awards Night on Monday, June 30, at the Discovery Suites Manila in Ortigas, Pasig.
It took 33 years, but Mapua is back on top of the NCAA men’s basketball world and in the middle of it all was Finals MVP Escamis, who is this year’s Collegiate Men’s Basketball Player of the Year.
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The NCAA Rookie-MVP in Season 99, finally brought back the Cardinals to the Promised Land after sweeping Benilde to win the historic Season 100 behind averages of 24.5 points, 4.0 assists, and 4.0 steals.
Belen, for her part, is named UAAP Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year after towing National U to back-to-back titles - third overall in four seasons - laced with three Season MVP citations as well.
The Alas Pilipinas standout and Capital1 franchise player is the only player to win the prestigious plum thrice, with La Salle's Ben Mbala the only other individual to have two to his name.
Building a case as one of greatest volleyball players in the country, Belen exited the UAAP with an unrivaled resume marked by eight championships and five MVPs overall since high school.
Escamis and Belen are only two among the 10 Players of the Year across three different sports, including football for the first time ever, in the third staging of the CPC Awards presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, Pilipinas Live, and GMA.
Two-time UAAP MVP Kacey Dela Rosa, meanwhile, is this year’s Collegiate Women’s Basketball Player of the Year in the awards also backed by Discovery Suites, World Balance, E-Sports International, Centaur Marketing, My Daily Collagen, Buffalo’s Wings N’ Things, and Go For Gold.
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Dela Rosa led the league in runaway fashion with 22.1 points, 16.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists,, and 3.7 blocks per game in UAAP Season 87. She posted double-doubles in all 15 games she played in, even as the Blue Eagles settled only for a Final Four finish.
Leo Aringo, Belen’s counterpart in NU, is also in league of his own with the UAAP Men’s Volleyball Player of the Year citation after anchoring the Bulldogs to a five-peat against top-seed FEU, while also winning the Finals MVP award as his grand swan song.
Over in the NCAA, Finals MVP Carl Berdal led Arellano to its first-ever volleyball championship with a 2-0 sweep of Letran behind his 17.5 points to be hailed as the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Player of the Year.
Then there’s the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year Zam Nolasco, also the league’s Best Middle Blocker, who powered the Lady Blazers to a four-peat feat after a similar 2-0 sweep of the Lady Knights in the finals.
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