MIKA Reyes never had it so good last year.
The pretty middle blocker capped her playing career at De La Salle with yet another championship, helping the Lady Spikers regain the UAAP women’s volleyball crown at the expense of long-time rival and three-peat seeking Ateneo.
The championship was the third for Reyes, 22, with the Taft-based school, where she won back-to-back titles in 2012-13. In the five years she played with the team (2011-16), the Lady Spikers were all in the finals.
Shortly after, the native of Pulilan, Bulacan followed it up with her maiden Philippine Super Liga championship behind F2 Logistics’ title romp during the all-Filipino conference.
On a personal note, Reyes was also named brand ambassador of the PSL for its 2016 season, and later, was tapped for inclusion in the Philippine club team that competed in the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship as a member of its so-called ‘Magnificent Seven.’
Now, she gets to add the title Ms. Volleyball to her resume as the Philippine Sportswriters Association will recognize her of the honor during its Annual Awards Night presented by MILO and San Miguel on Feb. 13 at the LE PAVILLON in Pasay City.
Reyes will be the fifth recipient of the award won three straight times by superstar Alyssa Valdez, who was Ms. Volleyball during the 2013, 2014, and 2015 staging of the of the affair co-presented by CIGNAL/HYPER TV.
Valdez shared the award with Aby Marano four years ago.
Reyes, incidentally, likewise graduated with a degree on AB Psychology June of last year.
The country’s oldest media organization, led by president Riera Mallari of the Manila Standard earlier named June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel as its Mr. Basketball during the two-hour program backed by Phoenix Petroleum, Gold Toe, ACCEL, SM Prime Holdings Inc., PBA, Globalport, Mighty Sports, Rain or Shine, Foton, ICTSI, Smart, and the MVP Sports Foundation.
Still to be named are Mr. Football, Mr. Taekwondo, and Mr. Golf.
Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz leads all awardees to be recognized in the traditional rites also supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Meralco, NLEX, and Federal Land, as recipient of the coveted Athlete of the Year trophy.
The 25-year-old Zamboanga City pride ended the country’s 20-year medal drought in the Olympics by winning the silver in the women’s 53-kg event of the Rio De Janeiro Games.
Another top awardee is Asia’s first Grandmaster in Eugene Torre, who will be feted with the PSA Lifetime Achievement Award.