NINA Ytang could have just walked away from her college career.
After winning UAAP best middle blocker honors for three straight seasons, the 5-foot-11 University of the Philippines standout was already poised to turn professional, much like close friend and fellow Fighting Maroon Nica Celis.
Instead, she chose to stay.
“Dapat po mag-last year na ako nung last season. Dapat mag-pro na ako, but ‘yung mga coaches, mga teammates ko, they were my inspiration to stay,” she shared in the earlygoing of her fifth and final year Diliman.
“Yung mga seniors (Irah Jaboneta and Joan Monares) po na kasama ko ngayon, they wanted to stay. Kaya dapat bago kami umalis, maganda ‘yung result ng season namin.”
Even as doubts surrounded a State U program long beset by starts and stops, Ytang never lost sight of where they could actually end up.
That belief was on full display in UP’s stunning 16-25, 16-25, 25-22, 31-29, 18-16 reverse sweep of defending champion National U on Saturday, when Ytang anchored the defense with seven of their 19 blocks.
READ: UP fights through five sets to pin first loss on National U
Her performance was a shining example of how much she wanted this - this, being the decision to remain in maroon-and-green for another season.
With a repeat of last year’s upset over the Lady Bulldogs, the Fighting Maroons suddenly find themselves at 3-1, sharing the same record with the reigning titlists - and just behind league-leading and undefeated La Salle.
For Ytang, moments like these help restore belief in a team that, truth be told, is still in the process of returning to relevance.
“Sobrang hirap po kasi galing po kami sa talo, so ‘yung confidence po namin talaga is masyadong mababa,” she said, referring about their prior straight-sets loss to the Lady Spikers.
“That’s why nahirapan din talaga kami sa first and second set. You're thinking, 'Kaya ba ‘to? Kaya ba ‘to?' But kailangan mag-show up eh. Kailangan talaga eh.”
End to another playoff drought?
Now riding a strong start, Ytang believes UP is finally primed to make it big, and perhaps even end a decade-long absence from the Final Four.
“Amin ‘to, amin," she boldly exclaimed to reporters. "Atin ‘to eh. This is our season. We are manifesting that this is gonna be our season, kaya kailangang trabaho, trabaho, trabaho. Walang titigil at pupusuan lang talaga ‘to.”
Of course, those two words are very much ingrained in Fighting Maroons lore. "Atin 'to" were then-incredulous words spoken by one Paul Desiderio, as he rallied his troops in believing UP's men's basketball team (MBT) was about to get out of its so-called dark days.
Fast forward to now, and that proved to be a manifestation of what was to come, with the MBT winning two championships and getting three silver medals in the last five seasons.
And so, Ytang staying wasn’t just about finishing what she started.
It was moreso about continuing to believe the Fighting Maroons' long-awaited breakthrough is well within reach - after years upon years of scratching and clawing their way back.
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