Doing queen things and dominating on the court, Angel Canino of De La Salle University and Josh Ybañez of University of Santo Tomas flaunted their MVP form to propel their respective teams to an undefeated stretch in the second week of the UAAP Season 88 collegiate volleyball tournament.
The two Rookie-MVPs delivered all-around performances to help the Lady Spikers and Golden Spikers finish the week unscathed in the women’s and men’s divisions, respectively, further strengthening their title bids.
For their standout play, Canino and Ybañez were named Collegiate Press Corps (CPC) Players of the Week, presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, for the period of February 25 to March 1.
Despite the absence of ace spiker Shevana Laput, who is still recovering from illness, Canino held down the fort for the Lady Spikers.
Last Wednesday, she tallied 12 points, five excellent digs, and six excellent receptions in a straight-sets victory over a fortified University of the Philippines squad, 25–12, 25–15, 25–19, handing the erstwhile unbeaten team its first loss of the tournament.
She followed it up with another mature performance, staying composed even after La Salle dropped its first set of Season 88 against longtime rival Ateneo de Manila University. The 22-year-old powered her team to a 25–14, 21–25, 25–15, 25–17 victory last Sunday, finishing with a stellar double-double of 21 points and 11 excellent receptions.
Despite being the lone unbeaten team in the women’s division, Canino continues to approach each match without pressure, placing full trust in her teammates.
“Hindi ko siya iniisip na ittake ko lahat ng responsibility kasi madami kaming senior eh, and madami ding mga bata na willing to step up so magaan din para sa akin kasi alam ko talaga when it comes to playing, hindi lang ako dapat ang maasahan,” she said after their win over Ateneo.
“Lahat kami naasahan sa loob kaya walang dagdag na pressure. Lahat naman pinaghirapan namin. So lagi namin talagang pinagkakatiwalaan kung anong pinagtatraining namin. Napakaganda naman talaga ng resulta, at mapupuri mo talaga yung mga bata,” she added.
Canino edged out teammate Amie Provido, UST’s Angge Poyos and Reg Jurado, and UP’s Casiey Dongallo for the weekly citation, as deliberated by print and online media covering the beat.
Over in the men’s division, Ybañez showed comfort in his role as an opposite hitter after spending most of the offseason as a libero for the national team.
His versatility proved crucial, as he posted back-to-back double-doubles while contributing on both offense and floor defense.
The UAAP two-time MVP churned out 29 points, along with 19 excellent receptions and four digs, to power UST in a marathon win over Ateneo, 19–25, 26–24, 21–25, 26–24, 16–11, last Wednesday.
He followed this up with 13 points, 11 excellent receptions, and five excellent digs in a straight-sets win over the rejuvenated University of the East, 25–18, 25–22, 25–22, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Despite their recent surge, winning three straight games, Ybañez acknowledged that there is still work to be done as the Golden Spikers chase a breakthrough title in men’s volleyball.
“If there’s something that needs to change, we work on it. Kasi we tend to go back sa mga old habits namin. Mas mapapatibay talaga yung team kapag kaming mga seniors yung maging role model ng mga bata—the consistency and the hard work,” Ybañez said, as UST now sports a 3–1 record.
Ybañez bested Far Eastern University’s Amet Bituin and Lirick Mendoza; National University’s Budds Buddin and Leo Ordiales; and UP’s Olayemi Raheem for the weekly award, which is also supported by Discovery Suites and Buffalo Wings N’ Things.
