EYES ON THE PRIZE
Two of the most dynamic scorers in UAAP women’s volleyball history got everything they wanted from their teams’ Season 88 debuts—one more than the other.
Angel Canino and Casiey Dongallo watched their teams carve out opening day wins on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena and both didn’t shy back from making their goals known this season.
“We really have nowhere else to go but there [the championship]. That’s really the only goal for us before the season started,” Canino said after her La Salle squad brushed off Far Eastern University, 25-19, 25-14, 27-25. “Our confidence is really high and that’s one of the things that keeps us going—we can’t afford to go down.”
The 22-year-old hitter led La Salle to the title as a rookie in Season 85, but the Lady Spikers missed the Finals the following year and lost to Bella Belen and the National U Lady Bulldogs last season.
“We’re here to rise, not fall back down,” Canino said.
Dongallo, meanwhile, played her first game for the University of the Philippines and made it clear that the Maroons are setting their sights high.
“Every training, we remind ourselves that we want to reach the Final Four,” Dongallo said after delivering 13 points in UP’s 25-12, 25-9, 21-25, 25-19 victory over her former school, University of the East, in the first game.
Back problem
Dongallo could have produced more, but her stint was cut short by back stiffness. She left the game in the third set and never returned.
“[My back problem] actually started during training,” Dongallo said. “The problem was I didn’t tell [new UP] coach Fabio [Menta] about it. Until now, it hasn’t fully gone away because the pain is still there. But we’re going to continue working on it.”
The back problem isn’t expected to be much of an issue this season, Dongallo and Menta said.
Canino and team captain Shevana Laput came through in a critical part of the third frame when the Lady Tamaraws tried to drag the match longer by moving to set point. But the two seniors helped La Salle overcome a two-point deficit at set point and ice the game.
“[W]e developed a good dynamic,” Canino said of herself and Laput. “It’s like we have a good cop–bad cop balance. We always think about what’s best for everyone—not just for the seniors or just for the younger players. There’s no bias. That’s why our dynamic works and you’re starting to see the results now.”
If she has her way, Canino believes La Salle will also show results later, when it really matters: the championship.
“It’s not about bragging about our team, but it’s something we hold on to because it gives us confidence and drives us forward,” she said. “That’s the legacy we want to uphold. We don’t want to go through the heartbreak we experienced in the past few years in the UAAP.”
Dongallo knows no such heartbreak yet, but she sees a bright future with her new teammates.
“I don’t know why I didn’t feel nervous compared to Season 86. I feel ready. My teammates also helped a lot—they didn’t make me feel like I should be nervous. They made me feel that they have my back,” said Dongallo.
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