De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde's Cloanne Mondoñedo herself was stunned after being named the MVP in the NCAA Season 99 women's volleyball tournament.
The veteran setter, who led the playmaking for Benilde, firmly believed that her fellow graduating teammates Gayle Pascual and Mich Gamit were just as deserving of the league's top individual plum.
But looking back on how much hard work, patience, and sacrifice it took for her to get to where she is today, Mondoñedo is just thankful to see everything come to fruition.
"To be honest, doon sa MVP medyo nagulat ako doon kasi Gayle deserves it, Mich deserves it tapos sakin binigay pero thankful parin ako kasi nakuha ko yun," the lefty setter said.
[To be honest, with the MVP, I was a little surprised because Gayle deserves it, Mich deserves it and it happened to go to me but I'm still thankful to be able to receive it.]
Aside from the MVP honors, Mondoñedo also took home the Best Setter award that has eluded her for the past two seasons even as she helped steer the Lady Blazers to back-to-back titles in Season 97 and 98.
To put the cherry on top, she and the Lady Blazers completed another season sweep to reign supreme in Season 99 to end her collegiate run as a champion once again.
"And then sa Best Setter, I'm really, really happy kasi ilang taon ko siyang pinagtrabahuhan eh," she added. "I really wanna get it for Coach Jerry, for the team kasi nga every season talaga kailangan mong maging ganito, ginagawa ko [yung instruction], kailangan mo maging ganto."
[And with regards to Best Setter, I'm really, really happy because I worked hard for it for a few years... I really wanted to get it for Coach Jerry, for the team, because every season, I did what was instructed, how you have to be like this.]
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
