Ytang, Buddin lead giant killers

University of the Philippines (UP) and National University (NU) did what other teams have failed to accomplish in the elimination round of University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 women’s and men’s volleyball tournaments.

Thanks in large part to Niña Ytang and Buds Buddin, the Fighting Maroons and the Bulldogs made NU and Far Eastern University (FEU) bleed, blemishing the league-leaders’ erstwhile pristine records while sustaining their own teams’ drives for a Final Four berth in Round 2.

Ytang and Buddin made it clear this week — no sweep in Season 87, as they took charge in making the “one” possible in NU’s 9-1 and FEU’s 9-1 win-loss slates.

Their giant-slaying performances for the UP and NU earned them the nods as the Collegiate Press Corps UAAP Players of the Week presented by the Philippine Sports Commission for the period of 22 to 30 March.

Ytang paved the way for UP’s five-set 26-24, 23-25, 17-25, 25-23, 15-12 comeback against defending champions Lady Bulldogs last Wednesday, pulling off an outing of a lifetime with a career-best 30 points on 27 attacks and three blocks.

Even Ytang herself did not expect to win against the Bella Belen-captained squad.

“Actually, we really didn’t expect anything. I mean, we’re not expecting to win. We just played hard,” said Ytang, who bested NU’s Belen and Alyssa Solomon, FEU’s Jaz Ellarina, De La Salle University’s Angel Canino, and Ateneo de Manila University’s Lyann de Guzman and Taks Fujimoto for the weekly citation.

Her showing was one for the UAAP history books as she became the first middle blocker to score 30 points since Lady Bulldogs great Jaja Santiago’s 30-point output in a losing effort to the University of Santo Tomas in 2017.

‘Actually, we really didn’t expect anything. I mean, we’re not expecting to win. We just played hard.’

This was also the best eruption of any Fighting Maroon after UP pride Tots Carlos’ 32-point staging, also against UST during Season 80.

On top of this, Ytang helped UP end its drought against NU which spanned since the second round of UAAP Season 80 in 2018.

But for the esteemed Maroon, it was all discipline inside the court -- which was always reminded to her and the rest of the squad by coach Benson Bocboc.

“Of course, we’ll never lose our discipline inside the court. Our coach always says that we should be disciplined and avoid playing individually,” Ytang said.