Vindicated UP succeeds in experiments as Niña Ytang rises as unlikely first option

MANILA, Philippines – After rolling to a breakthrough 2-0 start in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament, the UP Fighting Maroons were on top of the world after only posting a single win the year prior.

Then everything came crashing down for the rebuilding program after head coach Benson Bocboc abruptly changed his rotations in the third game, eventually leading to a sweep loss to Ateneo that sparked a four-game slide and with it, the rightful ire of the UP community.

On Wednesday, March 26, however, the Maroons’ relentless tinkering finally paid off as they leaned on veteran middle blocker Niña Ytang — an unlikely first option given her natural position — in their five-set shocker of the once-undefeated NU Lady Bulldogs dynasty to keep their Final Four bid alive and well.

Although fresh off a 24-point eruption in a five-set heartbreaker to Ateneo last Saturday, March 22, Ytang was still left at a loss for words as she once again led the way with a career-high 30 points, this time to an improbable victory over a team that carried an 11-game winning streak dating back to last year.

“Of course this is a huge thing for us, for the team, not just for me because this really helps raise the entire team’s morale,” the fourth-year net defender said in Filipino. “Not one of us is allowed to quit, we have to rise together and no one should fall behind.”

Busy finding the right combinations while Ytang sat out with a minor injury, the once-criticized head coach Benson Bocboc believed that Ytang was finally the answer they were looking for, despite middle blockers usually taking a backseat in the offense to established wing spikers.

“Before I even came to UP, Ytang is Ytang already, because she used to give us trouble [in La Salle],” the ex-Lady Spikers deputy coach said of the former Best Middle Blocker. “If you already have a history of producing, then let’s continue that, right? I didn’t start [developing] her, she’s already who she is.”

“What we had to figure out was how her support gets more solid, where her life wouldn’t be too difficult. If she’s in front, she already knows what to do to score. At least, this is nice, but we want more. She can do so much more.”

Though there is always room for more, Ytang has already carved her name to all-time UAAP lore as she became the first UP player to breach the 30-point barrier since the now three-time PVL MVP Tots Carlos in 2018, as well as having the most middle blocker points since NU legend Jaja Santiago in 2017.

None of this matters, however, if the Maroons cannot parlay individual success to team breakthroughs, ideally soon in the form of their first Final Four berth since 2019, and that is what Ytang, Bocboc, and the rest of the team are keeping in sight ahead of the elimination round’s home stretch.

“We just remind ourselves to stay calm. Stay calm. If this is for us, we will get this. If this is ours, this is ours. We cannot be swayed by emotions, especially coming off big wins like this,” Ytang continued.

“Just stay calm, we can do this.”

One step at a time, indeed. Cliches get overused because at the end of the day, most of them work anyway. – Rappler.com