For many players, winning the Most Valuable Player award represents the peak of a collegiate career. For Shaina Nitura, it may only be the beginning of a much larger goal.
After a historic UAAP Season 88 campaign, Nitura emphasized that her individual awards will not mean much on their own if they do not eventually translate into success for the Lady Falcons. For her, the real goal is still to help the team take the next step and finally secure a championship breakthrough in the seasons ahead.
Nitura emerged as the centerpiece of Adamson’s resurgence this season after capturing two of the league’s biggest individual awards — the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball MVP and the Best Outside Hitter. More importantly, her rise coincided with the Lady Falcons’ return to relevance after steering the team back to the Final Four for the first time since Season 85.
Despite becoming the first player in Adamson women’s volleyball history to secure the league’s highest individual honor, the 21-year-old outside hitter insisted that the team’s unfinished business remains her top priority.
“Hindi naman doon titigil yung career ko, yung career namin, and yung pagpu-push namin to get into the Finals. Nandoon pa rin talaga yung focus namin,” Nitura said.
The numbers behind her MVP campaign reflected just how dominant she was throughout the season. Nitura topped the statistical race with 98.511 statistical points, comfortably ahead of teammate Frances Mordi, who finished second with 82.766 SP.
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We love you Kapitana Shaina Nitura our MVP https://t.co/OUCl4TIgYS
— Iconic Nitura (@raind431162) May 9, 2026
Instead of viewing the awards as individual validation, Nitura sees them as proof that Adamson is building a roster capable of contending with the league’s traditional powerhouses in the coming years.
“Actually, this only means na capable kami makapasok ng Finals kasi meron kaming Fhei at meron kaming other players na pwede mag-push through it sa upcoming seasons na meron kami with the team,” she said.
One of the players Nitura specifically pointed to was Fhei Sagaysag, who also earned major recognition after being named Best Setter of the Season.
Together, the two became symbolic of Adamson’s rise from rebuilding squad to legitimate contender.
While her collegiate future appears brighter than ever, Nitura also faced a difficult decision regarding national team duties. The former Alas Pilipinas player had initially expressed willingness to suit up for the Philippines in the upcoming AVC Women’s Cup scheduled from June 6 to 14 in Candon City.
However, she eventually begged off from national team duties to focus on recovering from an undisclosed injury, a decision that could help preserve both her long-term health and Adamson’s growing ambitions heading into the next UAAP season.
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