Niña Ytang’s Journey Was Never the Plan—But She Made It Work

Niña Ytang of the UP Lady Maroons never had her sights set on volleyball.

Now nearing graduation, she has become one of the team’s emerging pillars—defined by her energy, grit, and presence on the court. But the path that brought her there wasn’t built on years of early training or long-term planning.

It was something she grew into, step by step, long after most athletes had already begun.

A Path She Didn’t Plan

It didn’t start as a dream. It didn’t even start as a goal.

Before volleyball, Ytang’s world looked completely different—one that revolved more around music than sport.

“Nung high school ako, third year high school. Doon po nakita, hindi kasi talaga dapat singer-singer daw, ganyan-ganyan. Tapos, kinuha lang ako kasi matangkad daw ako. Kaya yun, nag-start ako mag-volleyball.

And plan dapat mag-aaral lang ng libre sa Cebu, kaya din pinursue ko yung volleyball. And ngayon, nandito ako, hindi ko na-expect na magiging volleyball player ako sa UAAP.”

She wasn’t training for competition or chasing a career in sports. At that point, she was known for something else entirely.

“Singer. Kumakanta po ako para sa school. Ako yung representative ng school.

Na may event or may municipal na event. Ako po yung kumakanta, doxology. Ano, basta yung mga ganun na competition.”

That contrast—between who she was and who she would become—is what makes her story feel less like a straight path and more like something she had to discover along the way.

Learning the Game the Hard Way

Even her early exposure to volleyball came in fragments, without consistency.

“Nung elementary, wala eme eme lang yun ng isang taon. Pero tumigil din kasi agad yun. Grade 5 ako nun, nag-stop lang agad ako noon.

Tapos nag-start ulit ako, third year high school.”

Starting late meant one thing—she had to catch up.

And she did it the only way she knew how: through effort.

“Ano lang po, tinyaga ko lang din po talaga. Parang may mga times doon na nag-train ako mag-isa, self-training.

Yung mga drills-drills na ginagawa. And then inano ko lang talaga, sinipagan. Tapos, yun, ginuide ako ng mga coaches. Ang dami coaches na nag-guide sa akin. Kaya sobrang grateful talaga ako noon.”

When opportunities weren’t always available, she found ways to create them.

“Yun, sumali ako sa boys volleyball. Para po, ano lang ba? Kasi nasasarili po kasi natin yung pagtiyatiyaga. Kaya yun, tinyaga ko talaga.”

That meant stepping into unfamiliar spaces—training environments that demanded more from her, faster.

“Kasi nung girls volleyball namin, hindi pa masyadong ayos yung schedule…

So sabi nung isang coach, sali ka muna sa boys para hindi ka matengga.

Ayun, sa boys, sali ako sa boys mga ilang weeks yon.”

Playing with the boys wasn’t just about staying active—it forced her to grow. To adjust quicker. To compete harder.

When the Work Started to Show

Eventually, that effort began to show.

“Nung high school, grade 11 ako may CVRAA (Central Visayas Regional Athletics Association) sa Cebu.

And then, yung ano talaga, yung ibang teammates, si [Steph] Bustrillo po talaga yung kukunin ni Coach [Godfrey] Okumo.

Tapos since teammate kami noon sa CVRAA, nakita nila po ako paano ako maglaro, training.

Sinama nila ako. Sabi nila, kasama ka na, sali ka na, sa UP ka na.”

What started as a practical decision—to pursue volleyball for education—slowly turned into something bigger.

Not instantly. Not dramatically. But through consistency that people began to notice.

And from there, she carried that same mindset into UP.

The Meaning of “Laban”

Within the UP Lady Maroons system, identity matters. And for Ytang, that identity became clear through how she plays.

“I think po yung laban po kung paano lumaban sa loob ng court. Yung kagustuhang manalo.

Minsan natatalo, ganyan talaga ang buhay. Itinutuloy pa rin po yung laban kahit anong resulta.”

“Laban” isn’t just a word—it’s a mindset. And for someone who started late, it became the one thing she could always rely on.

As she looks ahead—toward recovery, the draft, and the next stage of her career—that same mindset stays with her.

“Yung ano, papadraft of course. Pero unang-una sa lahat, magpapahinga, bakasyon, acads, tas ayun draft na.”

And when she steps into that next level, she already knows what she’ll bring.

“I think yung energy ko po. Yung energy ko, yung kakulitan ko.

And of course, yung fight ko bilang isang fighting maroons.”

Because in the end, Niña Ytang’s story isn’t defined by how early she started.

It’s defined by how she stayed.

Through late beginnings, self-training, and everything in between, she built something that wasn’t handed to her.

And in doing so, she didn’t just become a volleyball player.

She became exactly what UP is known for—a fighter.