Kennedy Batas of the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles is currently leading the MVP race for the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Tournament.

This season, under rookie head coach Vince Mangulabnan, Batas changed his position from being the opposite hitter to outside hitter, which proved to be one of the main adjustments the team has made to return to its glory days.

Aside from Batas, also in the race for MVP are University of Santo Tomas rookie outside hitter Jan Julian Macam, Far Eastern University first-year player Mikko Espartero, De La Salle University graduating senior Noel Kampton, and the University of Santo Tomas middle block Popoy Colinares.

Here are their statistics after the first round of eliminations.

Ateneo de Manila University’s Kennedy Batas

For two years, Batas played as the opposite hitter of the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles. In Season 87, he now embraced his role as the open hitter and it proved to be a crucial adjustment for the team.

At the end of the first round, Batas is the leading scorer with 142 points on 122 attacks, 10 blocks, and 10 aces, the fourth-best spiker with 45.52% success rate, the fourth-best server with 0.37 aces per set, the eighth-best digger with 1.44 excellent digs per set, and the fifth-best receiver with 46.73% efficiency.

Batas’s highest-scoring output this season came in their first game against the Adamson University Soaring Falcons where he scored 24 points on 17 attacks, five blocks, and two aces with nine excellent digs to lead his team to 25-17, 25-19, 22-25, 25-23 victory on Sunday, February 16.

University of Santo Tomas’s Jan Julian Macam

University of Santo Tomas Golden Spikers rookie outside hitter Jan Julian Macam rose to the occasion when main gunner Josh Ybañez got injured early in the season. During Ybañez’s recovery, Macam played the position so well that when Ybañez returned to the court, he was still part of the starting lineup as GBoy de Vega stayed on the bench.

At the end of the first round, Macam is the twelfth-best scorer with 85 points on 66 attacks, nine blocks, and 10 aces, the third-best spiker with a 45.83% success rate, and the second-best server with 0.42 aces per set.

Macam’s highest scoring output came in their matches against the National University Bulldogs and the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, scoring 15 points.

Macam is the 2nd best outside hitter in the UAAP Season 85 boys’ volleyball tournament.

Far Eastern University’s Mikko Espartero

After missing last season’s lineup, first-year player Mikko Espartero proved to be a pivotal member of the Far Eastern University Tamaraws in their quest to bring back the crown to Morayta.

At the end of the first round, Espartero is the seventh-best scorer with 99 points on 83 attacks, nine blocks, and seven aces, the best spiker with a 50% success rate, and the seventh-best server with 0.29 aces per set.

Espartero recorded his highest-scoring output in the Tamaraws’ 22-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-19 victory against the De La Salle University Green Spikers on Saturday, March 15, with 27 points in 21 attacks, five aces, and one block.

De La Salle University’s Noel Kampton

Graduating De La Salle University Green Spikers Noel Kampton is giving his all this season on his swan song with the Taft-based school.

At the end of the first round, Kampton is the second-best scorer with 113 points on 100 attacks, six blocks, and seven aces, the sixth-best spiker with a 43.48% success rate, and the sixth-best server with 0.29 aces per set.

Kampton recorded his highest-scoring output this season in their 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-22 victory against archrivals Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles with 27 points on 23 attacks, three blocks, and an ace with five excellent digs.

Kampton was the 1st Best Outside Hitter in the NCAA Season 93 boys’ volleyball tournament, and the 2nd Best Outside Hitter in the Season 94 boys’ volleyball tournament.

University of Santo Tomas’s Popoy Colinares

The University of Santo Tomas Golden Spikers middle blocker Popoy Colinares is probably one of the best all-around players in the league right now, from powerful attacks, offensive blocks, and high-powered serves.

At the end of the first round, Colinares is the fifteenth-best scorer with 78 points on 49 attacks, 18 blocks, and 11 aces, the second-best blocker with 0.75 blocks per set, and the best server with 0.46 aces per set.

Colinares recorded his highest-scoring output this season in his team’s 25-21, 25-20, 25-16 win against the De La Salle University Green Spikers on Wednesday, February 26, where he recorded 17 points on 11 attacks, five blocks, and an ace.

Colinares was the 1st Best Middle Blocker in the UAAP Season 82 boys’ volleyball tournament.