Angge Poyos and Josh Ybanez continued their superb performances in leading UST to big victories in the UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments.
Consistency has been key for UST’s Angge Poyos and Josh Ybanez as they continued their outstanding performances in the resumed UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments.
Coming off a 10-day Holy Week break, the UST stars seamlessly continued their impressive form, showcasing their scoring abilities to propel their teams into the Final Four and closer to the semifinals in both the women's and men's competitions.
For the third time this season, Poyos and Ybanez were honored once again by the Collegiate Press Corps as the UAAP Players of the Week, sponsored by San Miguel Corporation, for their stellar performances from April 3 to April 4.
The 5-foot-8 Poyos set a new rookie scoring record on April 3 by tallying 31 points, surpassing Casiey Dongallo's 30-point mark and matching Eya Laure's 31 points from Season 84 in 2022.
With 27 attacks, three aces, and a block, Poyos led the Golden Tigresses to victory against the Adamson Lady Falcons, securing a Final Four spot for the fourth consecutive season after their sole loss to NU.
“Thankful kasi comeback game for us kasi natalo kami nung last game namin against NU. Thankful kasi nakapag-contribute pa rin ako sa team,” said Poyos, now with most Players of the Week plums so far.
[ALSO READ: Angge Poyos on 31-point UAAP rookie scoring record: 'Hindi ko naramdaman na nandun na pala ako']
Poyos also attributed her career-high performance to the rest and recovery she had during the Holy Week as she led UST’s ninth win in 10 games.
“Nagka-break, ginawa ko yun, nag-reflect ako at nag-recover. Thankful kasi nakabalik at thankful din ako sa mga teammates ko kina ate kasi patuloy silang kumakapit at lumalaban para sa team,” said Poyos.
Poyos was voted as the unanimous winner of the weekly citation, supported by minor sponsors Discovery Suites and Jockey, beating La Salle's Shevana Laput, and Maicah Larroza, FEU’s Faida Bakanke, and NU’s Bella Belen.
Meanwhile, Ybanez once again delivered an outstanding performance for the Golden Spikers, achieving another triple-double with 25 points, 12 excellent digs, and 27 excellent receptions as they resumed their second-round campaign with a 25-17, 25-19, 23-25, 25-23 victory over the Adamson Soaring Falcons.
Riding high from their thrilling five-set victory against defending champions National University, the reigning MVP guided UST to its second consecutive win, solidifying their hold on solo fourth place with a 6-4 record.
Ybanez, who secured both MVP and Rookie of the Year titles last season, attributed his success to the trust and unwavering support of his coaches towards him and his teammates.
“Masaya din po ako kasi lalo na yung third set and fourth set alam kong may mga nakita yung coaches na hindi namin nakikita and iyon yung pagtutuunan namin ng pansin during the trainings,” he said.
Ybanez earned all the media votes, besting FEU’s Andrei Delicana, DLSU’s Eco Adajar, and NU’s Jade Disquitado for his third straight Player of the Week award.