If De La Salle University wants to return to the finals, Angel Canino knows she needs to step up as the leader the Lady Spikers need.
Canino — who was already La Salle’s captain during the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Volleyball Tournament, where they settled for silver — will now take on an even bigger role.
With the graduation of Alleiah Malaluan, Jyne Soreño, Jules Tolentino, and Jessa Ordiales, Canino will be joined by three other seniors, taking the reins of the team.
Shevana Laput, Amie Provido, and Lyka De Leon will join Canino as the Lady Spikers’ seniors, all entering their fourth year this Season 88.
“Siguro mae-expect lang sa amin is to be an Ate inside the court. Hindi lang sa skills pero kundi kung paano namin i-lead yung mga bata sa loob,” said the Season 85 rookie MVP during the league’s Media Day held at the TV5 Media Center last Saturday.
“Ngayong fourth year namin, kami na talaga ‘yung seniors. Wala na talaga kaming ibang Ate, lahat ng mga bata nagde-depend na sa amin. So we have to act as the typical Lady Spikers — yung values, yung ginagalaw as a Lady Spiker, ipakita yun sa mga bata kasi yun at yun lang din ang magdadala ulit sa amin sa championship.”
After claiming the Season 85 title in her rookie year, Canino and the Lady Spikers experienced consecutive setbacks.
In Season 86, La Salle settled for bronze after losing in the Final Four, and the following year, National University swept them in the Finals.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Those painful exits have become the fuel for their redemption tour this season — what could be Canino’s final run with the Lady Spikers.
“Siguro sobrang eager kasi to the point na gusto rin namin i-push yung sarili namin, not kung saan lang kami comfortable,” she said about the team’s preparation heading into Season 88.
“Siguro dahil heartbreak after heartbreak, kakaiba rin yung feeling ngayon kasi muntikan na namin makuha yung championship last year. So mas nag-effort talaga kami to work on kung saan kami nagkulang last season.”
La Salle will open its campaign on Saturday, February 14, against Far Eastern University, and Canino is confident the team will be ready.
The 5-foot-11 outside spiker has seen the maturity in the holdovers, which she says will be key if they want to return to the top.
“Ngayon, yung dynamic ng team — kahit man bata o matanda ka sa loob, ngayon I can say confidently na talagang gustong-gusto nila mag-contribute. And kahit man may mga mali kami inside the court, nakakaya na namin bumawi and meron pa ring kumpyansa sa loob ng court,” said Canino.
“Before, yun din talaga yung kulang namin as a team na agad-agad kaming nawawalan ng kumpyansa as one. So we try to ibahin yung ganong environment namin, ibahin yung character naming ganon na kahit anong mangyari, kahit nagkakamali… I think kahit bata o ate ngayon mas nakakaya na naming dalhin yung sarili namin.”
