By MARK REY MONTEJO
Alas Pilipinas might have fallen short on its mission in the recent 5th SEA V.Leg 1 but its bevy of talent, especially the rising stars, has managed to show what they are capable of after giving two regional powerhouse teams some hellish moments.
So despite finishing third behind host Thailand and Vietnam, the Nationals head into the second leg with renewed confident, believing the “breaks of the game” did them in, especially in their game against the Thais.
They absorbed a stinging 25-17, 24-26, 20-25, 20-25 defeat, but they consoled themselves for finally winning a set against the Thais since the event was rebranded two years ago.
It was a dream start only to falter in the crunch.
In that magical moment, Angel Canino was the center of attention.
With her leaping ability, Canino was a “witch” to the camp of their rivals after unleashing several wicked shots that shattered the enemy’s defense time and again.
For her sustained brilliance, the La Salle ace won the Best Outside Spiker award for the second time.
“One step closer, more to chase,” the 22-year-old Canino wrote on her Instagram post after Alas scored a 25–20, 25–20, 16–25, 25–13 victory over Indonesia Sunday, Aug. 3.
Though standing only at 5-foot-8, Canino caught the fancy of several coaches and players in the AVC Nations Cup last June for her ability to smash the ball with authority. That enabled her to share the award with Vietnam’s Trần Thị Thanh Thúy.
The lessons she learned – big or small – will serve her in good stead in the coming UAAP season as she vowed to lead the Lady Spikers to their redemption tour.
