From carrying the Philippine flag to carrying their schools, Angel Canino and Joshua Ybanez proved that the transition from Alas Pilipinas back to collegiate play comes with no adjustment period.
In Week 2 of the UAAP Season 88 volleyball tournament, the two national team standouts delivered performances that bridged international discipline with campus intensity, steering De La Salle University and University of Santo Tomas to unbeaten weeks and earning UAAP Players of the Week honors.
For Canino, the spotlight did not arrive by demand — it arrived by necessity. With La Salle missing key firepower due to illness, the Alas Pilipinas winger leaned on composure rather than volume. She first helped dismantle a previously unbeaten University of the Philippines squad in straight sets, combining timely scoring with steady floor coverage.
Days later, when archrival Ateneo de Manila University managed to snatch La Salle’s first set of the season, Canino responded with a 21-point, 11-reception double-double to restore order and keep the Lady Spikers unblemished.
Yet her mindset remained rooted in collective responsibility.
“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.
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HEY ANGEL
Angel Canino kept unbeaten league leader La Salle’s aim sharper than ever, firing a pair of steady scoring hauls to become the Collegiate Press Corps UAAP Player of the Week in women’s volleyball.#UAAPSeason88 #StrengthInMotionHopeInAction pic.twitter.com/1PJlyNogpe
— Collegiate Press Corps (@cpc_ph) March 3, 2026
RISING LIKE A WINNAH
Josh Ybañez ruled the floor and propelled UST’s three-game win run on offense and defense for the Collegiate Press Corps UAAP Player of the Week plum in men’s volleyball.#UAAPSeason88 #StrengthInMotionHopeInAction pic.twitter.com/uaRY8qbIRp
— Collegiate Press Corps (@cpc_ph) March 3, 2026
On the men’s side, Ybanez’s return from national team duties came with a sharpened edge.
After reinforcing his defensive instincts during the offseason as libero for Alas Men, the UST star has become even more dynamic as an opposite hitter.
In a five-set thriller against Ateneo, he exploded for 29 points while adding 19 excellent receptions — a rare blend of offensive ferocity and backline reliability.
He followed that up with another double-double effort in a straight-sets victory over University of the East, lifting UST to three straight wins and a 3–1 slate.
But like his fellow Alas Pilipinas Women colleague, Ybanez sees the bigger picture beyond weekly accolades.
“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,” Ybanez said.
From international courts to the UAAP spotlight, Canino and Ybanez have set the tone early in Season 88. The medals and weekly citations may differ, but the message is consistent: when national team pillars return home, they raise the standard with them.
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