Angel Canino seized the moment and delivered in her first rivalry match in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament on Sunday evening.
Canino shrugged off the big game jitters to finish with a game-high 23 points on 21 attacks, an ace, and a block to go along with nine excellent digs and five excellent receptions and spearhead De La Salle University’s 25-16, 25-20, 25-13 victory over Ateneo de Manila University at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
“Syempre po, masaya, kasi nga, it’s a different thing if rivalry po kayo. Pero at the same time, may pressure din. Pero hindi namin inaano yung pressure namin,” said the 19-year-old spiker out of Bacolod just moments after the game.
“Ano naman, masaya naman po ako na nakalaban ko yung Ateneo na sobrang tagal ko pong inantay.”
The La Salle Zobel product, who was the Girls’ MVP in Season 81, set the tone early in her first taste of La Salle-Ateneo action, unloading eight big points in the Lady Spikers’ huge 25-16 victory in the opening game that paved the way for the sweep.
“Actually, hindi ko din ineexpect at saka hindi ko po binibilang yung points ko. Basta maka-contribute lang po ako inside the court,” said Canino.
“And inaalalahanan ko lang po yung sarili ko na gawin nga po yung tama sa loob ng court para makatulong sa team ko. Yun lang, wala na po akong iniisip na parang, ah okay, nakaganto akong points so parang ganun.”
The 19-year-old rookie out of Bacolod, who was named Player of the Game once again — the third time this season, credited her teammates for her stellar outing. Canino also expressed how proud she was of the team for showing no signs of complacency in the endgame.
“I think we all deserve the POG kasi lahat po kami nag-contribute inside the court,” Canino said.
“Wala po akong masabi sa team basta proud ako sa team kasi ginawa namin yung best namin, nag-push talaga kami hanggang dulo and pinrove namin sa lahat na kaya namin.”
