Replacing a group of super seniors is no easy task, but it’s a challenge that Buds Buddin and his batchmates willingly took on for NU.
For the first two seasons of his collegiate career, Michaelo “Buds” Buddin was under the tutelage of seniors in setter Owa Retamar, outside hitter Nico Almendras, and libero Jann Sumagui.
As a rising star out of Nazareth School, Buddin won his first two UAAP Men’s Volleyball titles with these veterans, who were crucial to extending National U’s dominance in the post-pandemic era.
But as they say, all good things come to an end, as the Retamar-Almendras-Sumagui trio all bid farewell to the UAAP by the end of Season 86 in 2024, leaving the group led by Buddin and captain Leo Aringo, to take over leadership duties in Jhocson.
Amid this transition, Buddin took to heart a message that these seniors would always tell him.
“Lagi nilang sinasabi sakin, ‘Pre, ikaw na ‘yung nandiyan! Pre, panghawakan mo na ‘yan!’ So laging tumatatak sa isip ko na everytime na nasa court ako. Talagang dinadala ko lagi ‘yon,” Buddin told The GAME in an exclusive interview during round 1 of the Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Tournament last March.
Fast forward to today, and Buddin is a three-time UAAP champion, having led the Bulldogs to a historic five-peat — the first in the UAAP’s Final Four era — against an FEU Tamaraws side that nearly prevented history from unfolding.
The heart and soul for National U, Buddin was a key cog within the Bulldogs’ five-peat bid, highlighted by his grit in playing through an ankle injury throughout the Final Four against the UST Golden Spikers, and eventually, FEU in the finals.
As with the rest of Season 87, Buddin was armed with the trust and inspiration from the very kuyas who used to guide him as a young, but fast-rising talent.
“Before the game talaga sila Kuya Owa, Kuya Nico, tas si Kuya Mano [Sumagui], nasa dorm laging sinasabi na ‘Galingan ninyo pre, kaya niyo ‘yan!. Sobrang thankful kasi ‘yung mga kuyas namin, hindi pa rin nakakalimot sa team namin,” Buddin told The GAME in another exclusive interview moments after NU completed their five-peat bid against FEU.
“Isa rin sila sa mga nagbibigay ng lakas ng loob para sa akin na everytime kailangan ko talaga mag-perform kasi mismong senior ko, naniniwala na sa akin.”
Far from perfect
That’s not to say that Buds Buddin’s transition into a leader was an easy one, given the names he and his batchmates were replacing over in National U.
Understandably, there was a fair amount of pressure attached in replacing Owa Retamar, Nico Almendras, and Jann Sumagui, according to Buddin.
“‘Yung expectation ng mga tao iba eh, kasi knowing na Retamar and Almendras, then Sumagui talaga, leadership nila, sobrang malaking bagay, so naging pressure siya, but thankful ako kasi andiyan palagi ‘yung teammates ko and si Kuya Leo [Aringo] na gina-guide ako,” Buddin admitted.
Additionally, National U’s Season 87 buildup was far from ideal, given that several players had Alas Pilipinas duties and weren’t able to join the team as much during their preseason tournaments.
If anything, Season 87 itself served as the first time the Bulldogs fielded their entire squad, which came with a share of in-season adjustments and learning curves.
Still, these didn’t hinder Buds Buddin and his Bulldogs from extending their UAAP men’s volleyball dominance, where they showcased their championship composure when it mattered the most.
“Sobrang happy ako kasi nakita ko na naging worth it naman, and nakita ko na naging effective naman kung anong tinrabaho ko kasi kahit ganito ako, kahit senior ko na si Kuya Leo nakikinig naman sa akin once na may sinabi ako sa loob ng court and outside ng court,” Buddin reflected.
“Sana next year, makuha pa rin namin kung ano ‘yung gusto ng team namin, and pagbubutihin ko pa lalo.”
Images courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.