By ADRIAN STEWART CO
Negrense Angel Canino is embracing a bigger leadership role as the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers prepare for their bid to return to the top in the upcoming UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament.
After serving as team captain in Season 87, where the Lady Spikers finished runners-up, Canino is now one of the program’s senior pillars following the graduation of several veterans.
She will headline a core of fourth-year players that includes Shevana Laput, Amie Provido and Lyka de Leon, with the group tasked to guide a younger roster.
“Siguro mae-expect lang sa amin is to be an ate inside the court. Hindi lang sa skills pero kung paano namin i-lead ‘yung mga bata sa loob,” the Season 85 rookie MVP said during the league’s Media Day.
“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,” she added.
La Salle is looking to rebound from two disappointing seasons after winning the championship in Canino’s rookie year.
The Lady Spikers settled for bronze in Season 86 before being swept by National University in last season’s finals.
According to Canino, those setbacks have fueled the team’s preparation and pushed the players to step outside their comfort zones ahead of what could be her final collegiate campaign.
“Siguro sobrang eager kasi to the point na gusto rin namin i-push ‘yung sarili namin, not kung saan lang kami comfortable,” she said.
“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,” she added.
La Salle opens its Season 88 campaign against Far Eastern University on Saturday, February 14, and Canino believes the team’s growth and maturity will be crucial in its title chase.
“Ngayon, ‘yung dynamic ng team — kahit man bata o matanda ka sa loob, ngayon I can say confidently na talagang gustung-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,” Canino said.
“Before agad-agad kaming nawawalan ng kumpyansa as one. So we try to ibahin ‘yung ganung environment, ‘yung character namin na kahit anong mangyari, kahit nagkakamali … I think kahit bata o ate ngayon, mas nakakaya na naming dalhin ‘yung sarili namin,” she concluded./ASC, WDJ