RALLYING BEHIND AN ANGEL
With its core led by Angel Canino, sharpening up with national team stints, La Salle sets out to redeem itself from a runner-up finish as Season 88 of the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament gets off the ground.
But even if they know that they have the tools to go all the way this time, La Salle’s coaches are making sure that everyone on the team has their feet on the ground.
Canino became Alas Pilipinas’ rising star last year with a silver medal and Best Outside Spiker trophy in the AVC Women’s Nations Cup. Middle blocker Amie Provido was also a revelation on her national team debut, emerging as an instrumental starter in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, while Shevana Laput has embraced a bigger role as the new La Salle team captain.
From settling for runner-up last year, falling to National University led by Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon, who are already in the pros, Laput said, “it only makes sense” that they go for the championship this year.
“Of course, you want to be better than you were before,” Laput told the Inquirer.
“We need to have that winner mentality,” she went on. “Every single game, no matter who we’re up against, we have to give our 100 percent best.”
Starting on Saturday, when La Salle takes on Final Four contender Far Eastern University under coach Tina Salak at the Mall of Asia Arena, Lady Spikers deputy coach Noel Orcullo urged his team not to let their guards down.
The game is set at 3 p.m. after the University of the Philippines’ opening game against University of the East, where the newest Fighting Maroon, Casiey Dongallo and her fellow transferees battle their former school.
“There are no easy opponents now. Every team is tough,” Orcullo, who attended the season’s media launch in place of Ramil de Jesus, said. “Some have new coaches, new systems, so we really have to prepare well for each one. We just have to expect that wins won’t come easy.”
New look Bulldogs
He also added that NU, which debuts on Sunday against University of Santo Tomas, remains formidable even in the post-Belen and Solomon era, as core players Lams Lamina, Vange Alinsug and Shaira Jardio, as well as prized rookie Sam Cantada lead their ‘three-peat’ bid.
“Even if Bella and Alyssa are gone, NU still has its core,” Orcullo explained. “Others have stepped up, too, like Cantada. We’ve seen her performance and she’s been really impressive.”
La Salle didn’t join preseason leagues, but the coaches are pleased with their preparation.
“So far, we like what we’re seeing from the young players,” Orcullo explained. “The expectations that coach (Ramil) wants to see are slowly coming out. Hopefully, by opening day, they’ll really be ready.
“We were able to prepare better this time. We managed the injuries well,” he continued. “Hopefully, that translates into good performance, even if we weren’t heavily exposed. We also trained outside the country, so hopefully that’s enough to help us perform well.”
Far Eastern University, on the other hand, will bank on Gerz Petallo, Faida Bakanke and Tin Ubaldo, as the Lady Tamaraws are raring to get over the Final Four hump this year.
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