Shevana Laput rose to the occasion and towered over everybody else as she reigned supreme as the first ever Most Valuable Player in the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) National Invitationals.

An incoming sophomore for Taft, the 6-foot-2 spiker flashed her brilliance on both ends of the floor in a stellar MVP run as UAAP champion La Salle put on another crown as the inaugural SSL national champions with a 2-1 finale series win over the Adamson Lady Falcons over the weekend at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

“I feel honored but it was all because of my teammates. My teammates gave me that trust, they gave me that boost to hit and they gave the support. I could swing knowing that they're there covering (for) me,” said Laput, sister of PBA center James from Magnolia Hotshots.

She was joined by teammates Thea Gagate (1st Middle Blocker), Amie Provido (2nd Best Middle Blocker) and Alleiah Malaluan (2nd Best Outside Hitter), Adamson’s Angelica Alcantara (Best Setter) as well as UST’s Angeline Poyos (1st Best Outside Hitter) and Bernadett Pepito (Best Libero) in the SSL Super Team.

Laput’s breakout performance came at a time when La Salle needed it the most following the graduation of the majority of its starting six in setter Mars Alba, middle blocker Fifi Sharma and team captain and outside spiker Jolina Dela Cruz.

In the SSL, the Lady Spikers also played without UAAP Rookie-MVP Angel Canino and ace libero Justine Jazareno but Laput brought them home for another tiara in the SSL also backed by Mikasa, Team Rebel Sports, Summit Bottled Water, Genius Sports, Potato Corner, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken and Sauce Bar, and R&B Tea.

Then a rookie for the Taft-based tossers, Laput actually showed a glimpse of her potential as early as last summer in the UAAP Season 85 before unleashing her might in the SSL that featured champions from the UAAP, NCAA, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Laput,who also earned the Best Opposite Spiker award, registered 20.3 points in the finals highlighted by a tournament-high of 30 points in Game 1.

She posted 18 points in Game 2 then 13 points on 11 hits and two blocks in the winner-take-all Game 3, where La Salle ran away with a 25-22, 25-19, 25-17 to finish off Adamson in the SSL presented by Eurotel as the official hotel and Victory Liner as office transport provider, and in cooperation with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

But Laput is far from being a complete player that she envisions as she sets her sights on further improvement and development ahead of the UAAP Season 86, when she carries a larger target on her back as the SSL MVP.

“I mean it's really great. It's amazing. It's an honor, like I said. But I guess this makes me feel like I need to step up even more. I need to work even harder, you know, now that there's a 'reputation' kind of thing,” she beamed.