Niña Ytang mulls on her future with the UP Fighting Maroons as professional volleyball comes knocking at her door.
In her four years with the team, fighting spirit was never something short with UP veteran Niña Ytang.
Even as she currently considers the next step in her volleyball career with one more year of eligibility still left, Ytang doesn’t seem to fall short of her courage for the Fighting Maroons — especially after leading them to their best season since the tournament returned after the pandemic.
Landing at sixth place with their 6-8 slate in UAAP Season 87, Ytang spoke highly about her team.
After back-to-back seasons of one-win campaigns, the 23-year-old had no qualms about how their season unfolded, even if they did suffer a heartbreaking end in their last two games of the season, which ultimately denied them of a return to the Final Four.
Speaking to reporters after their 3-set loss to Adamson on Sunday, Ytang beamed with pride.
[READ: Shaina Nitura ends record-breaking UAAP Season 87 with Adamson win over UP]
“Sobrang nakakaproud kasi pinakita talaga ng buong team namin kung ano yung kaya namin, na kaya namin lumaban kahit sa pinakamagaling pa na team sa UAAP,” said Ytang.
“Kinapos, pero nakakaproud kasi lumalaban parin hanggang dulo.”
Though playing coy of what the future holds, with a shot at professional volleyball through the PVL draft also right at her doorstep, Ytang admitted that there is still that feeling of unfinished business for her.
Seeing her fourth year in UP end so painstakingly short of the Final Four, Ytang believes there is still merit in returning for her fifth and final year.
With new players expected to join the fray in Season 88--most notably transferees from UE like Casiey Dongallo and Jelai Gajero--Ytang may still have a place in the Fighting Maroons’ lineup. Personally, there’s still a lot more to gain for her.
“Option parin po siya sakin kasi I still have one more year,” she said of a potential return to Diliman.
“But, marami po kasing kailangan i-consider, lalo na sa situation ko. And I also want to go to pro kasi… Pero may natitira pa talaga saking laban sa UP talaga. 'Yung puso na alam mo 'yun, pride pa na ipaglaban yung school. It’s an option,” she added.
There will be a lot of thoughts in Ytang’s head in the coming days, especially as the PVL draft looms in June. But now, the UP senior is content to bide her time in making a key decision for the next step in her career.
“'Di ko pa alam. Kailangan pang pagisipan. Mahaba pa naman. Malayo pa yung deadline ng requirements sa pro,” she quipped.