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Tag: Josh Ybanez

  • Josh Ybañez proves libero switch is paying off with back-to-back SEA V.Cup Best Libero awards 

    Josh Ybañez proves libero switch is paying off with back-to-back SEA V.Cup Best Libero awards 

    Josh Ybañez’s reinvention continues to produce results on the international stage.

     

    Once known as one of the country’s most explosive wing spikers, the Alas Pilipinas standout has fully embraced life as a libero—and the accolades continue to follow.

     

    Ybañez was named Best Libero in Leg 1 of the 2026 SEA V.Cup in Candon City, making history as the first Alas Pilipinas player to win the award in consecutive legs after also claiming the honor during Leg 2 of last year’s tournament in Jakarta.

     

    The recognition further cements what has become one of the most successful position changes in Philippine men’s volleyball in recent years.

     

    Instead of leading the attack, Ybañez has become the steady presence at the backline, anchoring the country’s defense against some of Southeast Asia’s strongest teams.

     

    Throughout the weeklong tournament, the former high-scoring outside hitter served as head coach Angiolino Frigoni’s lone libero, taking on the responsibility of organizing the floor defense while consistently delivering on receptions and digs in all three matches. 

     

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    His composure and reliability became one of the biggest strengths of an Alas Pilipinas squad that fielded a youthful lineup in the opening leg.

     

    Although the Nationals fell short of a semifinal berth and settled for fifth place in the six-team competition, they closed their campaign on a positive note by sweeping Myanmar to avoid a winless finish before the tournament shifts to Jakarta for the second leg.

     

    For Ybañez, the individual recognition offered another reminder that his move to libero has unlocked a new chapter in his career rather than slowing it down.

     

    The latest award is already his second Best Libero citation since committing to the position full-time, adding to an impressive collection of international honors that now also includes three SEA V.Cup bronze medals.

     

    With another individual trophy secured, Ybañez now shifts his attention to the second leg of the SEA V.Cup, where Alas Pilipinas Men hopes to build on its encouraging finish and contend more strongly against the region’s volleyball powerhouses in Jakarta from July 22 to 26.

     

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  • Josh Ybañez rallies young Alas Pilipinas ahead of must-win clash with Indonesia 

    Josh Ybañez rallies young Alas Pilipinas ahead of must-win clash with Indonesia 

    The opening-day loss may have put Alas Pilipinas Men in a difficult position, but Josh Ybañez believes the tournament is far from over.

     

    With a semifinal berth hanging in the balance, the veteran libero challenged the national team’s youthful core to quickly move on from its heartbreaking five-set defeat to Cambodia and embrace an even bigger test against regional powerhouse Indonesia on Friday in the 6th SEA V.Cup at the Candon City Arena.

     

    For Ybañez, who experienced his own national team debut just last year during the FIVB Men’s World Championship and the Philippines’ bronze-medal finish in the Southeast Asian Games, the current campaign is about helping a new generation adjust to the pressures of international volleyball.

     

    Despite nursing an ankle sprain suffered on the eve of the tournament, the three-time UAAP MVP still suited up and anchored the Philippine floor defense, refusing to let the injury keep him from representing the country.

     

    “Thanks to the painkillers, I was able to push through. Honestly, even before the competition, I had already set my mindset. I knew it was only a mild sprain. It was painful, but once the game starts, it’s different—you don’t really feel it as much. I just fought through it,” said Ybañez in Filipino.

    The Filipinos pushed Cambodia to the limit before absorbing a 25-23, 28-30, 25-20, 22-25, 15-8 defeat, a result that leaves them needing a strong performance against Indonesia to keep their semifinal hopes alive.

     

    Ybañez, however, refused to dwell on the setback and instead acknowledged the quality of their opening-day opponent.

     

    “Every team is competitive, including Cambodia. Credit to them because they played really well. There were a lot of factors behind our loss, but they deserve the credit because they had a great game,” he added.

     

    The challenge only gets tougher against an Indonesian squad that has long established itself as one of Southeast Asia’s volleyball powerhouses, boasting multiple SEA Games titles and entering the match as the defending SEA V.Cup Leg 2 champion.

     

    Still, Ybañez believes the inexperience of the current Philippine roster should not overshadow the progress it has already shown.

     

    “We came into this tournament with zero expectations because this is a new team made up mostly of young players. I’m really proud of them because we fought until the end. Now, our 

    focus shifts to our next game against Indonesia, and we’ll do our best to give them a good fight,” said Ybañez.

     

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    The rebuilding squad also found encouraging signs in the emergence of several new faces.

    Jude Garcia made an immediate impact in his long-awaited indoor national team debut, finishing with 20 points after years of starring in beach volleyball and the Spikers’ Turf.

     

    “We’ll stick to Coach (Angiolino) Frigoni’s game plan and follow what he wants us to do. We’re going to prepare well because Indonesia is a tough team. Whatever effort we gave today, we’ll have to double or even triple it in our next match,” said Garcia.

     

    Middle blocker Joshua Magalaman also turned heads with a team-high 21 points built on 15 attacks, four blocks, and two service aces, but pointed to one glaring area the team must address before facing Indonesia.

     

    “As a team, we just need to cut down on our errors because that’s really where we lost. We committed too many mistakes. There were also times when they would go on scoring runs and we couldn’t stop their momentum. Reducing our errors is the biggest thing we need to improve,” said Magalaman.

     

    With their backs against the wall, Alas Pilipinas now heads into Friday’s showdown knowing that cleaner execution—and the resilience shown by veterans like Ybañez—could determine whether their SEA V.Cup campaign continues beyond the group stage.

     

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  • Shaina Nitura makes UAAP history as Adamson’s first MVP while Josh Ybañez seals men’s three-peat MVP run 

    Shaina Nitura makes UAAP history as Adamson’s first MVP while Josh Ybañez seals men’s three-peat MVP run 

    Shaina Nitura did not just headline a breakthrough season for Adamson University—she rewrote the program’s history.


    In a campaign defined by consistency and two-way dominance, Adamson’s outside hitter is set to become the Lady Falcons’ first-ever Most Valuable Player in UAAP Collegiate Women’s Volleyball history, capping a season where she led from the front and lifted Adamson back into the Final Four spot.

     

    Nitura once again paced the league in scoring for the second straight year, finishing Season 88 with 284 points built on 248 attacks, 24 blocks, and 12 aces. 

     

    Her production went beyond offense, as she emerged as one of the most complete players on the floor—ranking third in spiking efficiency at 38.15 percent, fourth in receptions at 44.48 percent, and eighth in digging with 2.11 digs per set.

     

    That all-around impact translated into separation in the MVP race. Nitura finished with a league-best 98.511 statistical points (SP), comfortably ahead of teammate Frances Mordi, who ended with 82.766 SP. The margin highlighted not just volume, but control of the game on both ends of the court.

     

    Her dominance also extends to the awards podium, where she is set to claim her first Best Outside Spiker recognition with 303 ranking points (RP), alongside De La Salle University’s Angel Canino, who earned the other slot with 272 RP. 

     

    Adamson, meanwhile, continues its postseason push, waiting in the stepladder quarterfinals for the winner of the University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern University matchup which will be held on Saturday, April 24 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

     

    While Nitura’s rise signals a new era for Adamson, the men’s side saw a familiar name return to the top.

     

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    Josh Ybañez reclaimed his place as the UAAP’s most dominant force, capturing his third Most Valuable Player award in the Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Tournament. 

     

    The UST senior roared back in Season 88 to lead the league with 90.192 SP, becoming the first men’s volleyball player in UST history to complete a three-MVP haul.

     

    Ybañez’s numbers reflected a player back at full command of the game. He ranked fourth in spiking efficiency at 45.19 percent, second in aces with 0.35 per set, and second in receptions at 65.68 percent, all while finishing as the league’s second-leading scorer with 278 points from 244 spikes, 16 blocks, and 18 aces.

     

    He is also set to secure his third Best Outside Spiker award after finishing with 329 RP, reinforcing his all-around impact on both ends of the floor. 

     

    National University’s Michaelo Buddin earned the other outside hitter spot with 269 RP after leading the league in aces at 0.48 per set and ranking eighth in spiking at 41.27 percent.

     

    Ybañez and his squad are still vying for the second seed in the Final Four and will face NU after both teams finished tied at a 10-4 win-loss record in the men’s division playoffs for the No. 2 spot. 

     

    In a season defined by comebacks, breakthroughs, and sustained excellence, Nitura and Ybañez stood at opposite programs but shared the same outcome—proof that dominance in UAAP volleyball still belongs to those who can carry it across every facet of the game.

     

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  • UST’s Angge Poyos, Josh Ybañez take early control of UAAP Season 88 MVP race after Round 1

    UST’s Angge Poyos, Josh Ybañez take early control of UAAP Season 88 MVP race after Round 1

    As the first round of the UAAP Season 88 volleyball tournament wraps up, the race for individual supremacy has begun to take shape—and the early spotlight belongs to the University of Santo Tomas’ star players.


    Both divisions currently feature Thomasian standouts at the forefront of the Most Valuable Player conversation. For the women’s side, Angge Poyos has emerged as the early statistical leader, while on the men’s side, two-time MVP Josh Ybañez is once again positioning himself as the player to beat.

     

    Poyos, who already made waves earlier in her collegiate career by claiming the Rookie of the Year honors in Season 86, is building on that promise with a dominant start to the season. 

     

    The UST Golden Tigresses star finished the first round with 156.22 statistical points, giving her a comfortable 9.322-point cushion over her closest challenger.

     

    Trailing her is Shaina Nitura of the Adamson Lady Falcons with 147.200 statistical points, while Angel Canino of the De La Salle Lady Spikers sits in third with 142.800. Rounding out the top five are Adamson’s Nigerian standout Frances Mordi with 139.200 and Gerzel Petallo of the FEU Lady Tamaraws with 137.500.

     

    Beyond the numbers, Poyos has been a major catalyst for UST’s campaign. The third-year outside hitter has scored 111 points through seven games—coming from 95 spikes, 12 blocks, and four service aces which helped the Golden Tigresses secure four victories in the opening round. UST currently sits tied for third place alongside Adamson and FEU in the standings.

     

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    Efficiency has also been one of Poyos’ defining strengths this season. She leads the entire women’s tournament in spiking efficiency with a 39.92 percent success rate, underscoring her role as the primary offensive engine of the Golden Tigresses.

     

    On the men’s side, Ybañez is once again proving why he has already captured two MVP trophies. The UST Golden Spikers captain topped the men’s statistical race after Round 1 with 158.000 statistical points, placing him firmly on course for what could be a third MVP award.

     

    The national team standout tallied 121 total points through seven matches built on 110 spikes, seven service aces, and four blocks to rank third in the league in scoring. His offensive efficiency remains impressive, posting a 41.98 percent spiking success rate and averaging 0.28 service aces per set.

     

    However, Ybañez’s impact extends beyond offense. His defensive contributions have been equally vital, ranking second in the league with a 62.14 percent efficiency rate.

     

    The Golden Spikers ended the first round with a 5–2 record, tied for second place with National University. Their strong position in the standings reflects the consistent production from their leader on both ends of the floor.

     

    Still, the MVP race in the men’s division remains far from settled. The NU tandem of Michaelo Buddin and Leo Ordiales are close behind with 153.750 and 152.083 statistical points, respectively. Meanwhile, the undefeated FEU Tamaraws are also represented in the race through Dryx Saavedra (127.083) and Mikko Espartero (124.583), who complete the top five.

     

    With the first half of the tournament complete, attention now shifts to the crucial second round where the standings and the MVP race could dramatically change. The next phase of the competition begins Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, where UE Red Warriors face FEU Tamaraws and NU Bulldogs take on the UP Fighting Maroons.

     

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