Hailing from the streets of Davao, Alas Pilipinas Men libero Josh Ybanez was once just another aspiring athlete — dreaming of making it big in the growing collegiate and national men’s volleyball scene in the Philippines.
But the road to stardom was far from easy for the University of Santo Tomas standout, who had to navigate the challenges of a male-dominated sport while proudly embracing his identity as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Those obstacles, however, only made the journey more rewarding. Over the first leg of the 2025 SEA V.League held at the Candon City Arena, Ybanez emerged as a fan favorite and a beacon of inspiration for the sport’s passionate following.
From being a fan himself to becoming the darling of the crowd, Ybanez now stands tall in the fast-rising Philippine men’s volleyball scene — proud to be a role model for the next generation of volleyball stars.
“Of course I was once a fan. Isa ‘yon sa mga goal ko — na maka-inspire ng mga young athletes, lalo’t na tulad ko na sa mga bakla at mga bata and mga maliliit,” Ybanez told reporters following the Philippines’ straight-sets loss to Indonesia to conclude the annual regional tournament.
“Isa ‘yon sa mga goal ko kaya patuloy ko ginagawa ito and patuloy ko minamahal yung volleyball,” he added.
With his dream of inspiring the next wave of volleyball talents slowly coming true, Ybanez is now focused on his next goal: making a mark with the men’s national team, Alas Pilipinas Men.
That commitment was evident throughout the five-day SEA V.League Philippine leg, where he stood out as one of the tournament’s top performers — finishing as the second-best digger with 30 excellent digs and 10 excellent receptions.
“Ngayon, nagsink-in na sa akin at nakapagadjust na talaga na naging part na ako ng national team kasi medyo matagal na rin ako sa team. Masaya ako na ito ako ngayon, I’m living my dream,” said the two-time UAAP MVP.
Though he’s finally found his footing in the national team, the converted libero remains grounded and motivated as the Philippines prepares for the upcoming 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship, set to take place from September 12 to 28 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum and the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Facing 31 of the world’s best teams, the 22-year-old spiker-turned-libero looks forward to learning as much as he can during Alas Men’s final preparations, which include the second leg of the SEA V.League and a European training camp.
“I can’t say na gamay na gamay ko na kasi I’m open naman to new learnings at tsaka sa mga bagong experiences, matututo ako sa ganon. I still have so many things na matututunan. I’ll work on it sa training,” Ybanez said.
“Sorry if hindi kami nag-podium finish, pero we’re working on it pa, marami pa kami pageensayuhan and sobrang ramdam namin yung pagmamahal ng tao sa Candon.”
#WATCH: From fan to favorite — Josh Ybanez is now proud to inspire the next generation of volleyball stars 🏐🇵🇭
📹 @ernesttuazon /Tiebreaker Times#SEAVLeague pic.twitter.com/mZVigcADZg
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) July 13, 2025
