UAAP: Injury-hit Buddin still finds ways to push NU to victory
Buds Buddin celebrates after NU beat UST for the last finals berth in UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 87 volleyball Finals
MANILA, Philippines — Not even a right ankle sprain could stop Buds Buddin from helping defending champion National University clinch a 10th consecutive UAAP men’s volleyball finals appearance on Wednesday.
After missing the Bulldogs’ Final Four opening loss to University of Santo Tomas, Buddin returned and gave his team a much needed lift past the gritty Golden Spikers in their do-or-die.
LIVE: UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball Final Four – NU vs UST
Buds Buddin on playing through injury. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/KpIeDPPN0e
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) May 7, 2025
Buddin checked in midway through the second set and made the crucial plays to lead NU’s comeback for a two-set advantage. He then drilled a clutch kill before digging Josh Ybañez’s attack that led to Jade Disquitado’s match-winner.
The 23-year-old spiker has overcome various injuries for the past two years. In Season 86, he returned from a right hand fracture and led the Bulldogs to a historic four-peat.
This time, Buddin sprained his right ankle in NU’s penultimate game in the elimination round and missed the past two games including their tough four-set loss to UST on Sunday.
“Honestly, I don’t even know why it feels like I’ve just had such bad luck these past two seasons,” Buddin told Inquirer Sports.
“I just used all of that as motivation, every single day. My family was also always there to support and motivate me, which helped a lot,” he added.
READ: UAAP: NU bulldogs reach 10th straight finals, eliminate UST
Buds Buddin after making an immediate impact in his return. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/nb9EPdozxo
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) May 7, 2025
Thanks to a strong support system, Buddin refused to give up and made an immediate impact in two sets played with seven points.
“Coach Dante still had trust in me. So before I went to bed, I told myself to be ready. When Coach asked, “Are you ready?” and called me in, I just thought, “This is my chance again.” It felt like a repeat of what happened back in Season 86. I treated it like it was a do-or-die match. Even though I wasn’t 100 percent, I gave everything I had, and I’m grateful we pulled it off,” said Buddin in the postgame interview.
“I’m really grateful to the coaches, especially our conditioning coach and our physical therapist. Every time I got injured, they were really patient with me and worked hard to help me recover faster. I was doing rehab three times a day.”
Buddin was emotional after overcoming UST in another tight duel, forging a finals series against the top seed Far Eastern University starting on Sunday at the same venue.
READ: UAAP: UST topples NU, forces Final Four do-or-die
“I couldn’t help but get emotional—we made it back to the Finals, and we all know how hard we worked for it. Everyone on the team sacrificed a lot, and now we’re starting to see the results. That’s why I got emotional, it was tears of joy,” he said.
The Alas Pilipinas star can’t promise to be at 100 percent against the Tamaraws, but he vows to play his heart out in their bid to win a fifth straight title.
“We all know FEU has been dominant this Season 87. So even if we beat them once, we can’t get overconfident. We’ll still put in the work at training. Starting tomorrow, we’ll focus on our mindset, our conditioning, and our focus. We’ll keep improving so we can reach our goal,” he said.
“I think what I learned from our seniors before really worked, so now I’ll keep applying that and add my own touch to it. That way, things will feel lighter on the court, and I can guide our rookies better, too.”
