Alas Pilipinas standout Angel Canino embraces veteran role for La Salle in UAAP Season 88

Angel Canino returns to the UAAP not just as La Salle’s star hitter — but as a player shaped by international battles.

Fresh from representing Alas Pilipinas in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, where the national team finished fourth, Canino heads into UAAP Season 88 carrying lessons forged against the region’s best. The experience, she believes, has prepared her for a bigger responsibility with the Lady Spikers.

The 2025 SEA Games stint tested the Filipinas against seasoned squads from Southeast Asia’s traditional volleyball powerhouses. Though the podium remained out of reach, the campaign exposed Canino to high-pressure situations, tactical adjustments, and the demands of leadership beyond the collegiate level.

Now back in Taft, she steps into a clear role: senior pillar.

After serving as team captain in Season 87 — where La Salle finished runner-up — Canino is now one of the unquestioned veterans following the graduation of key leaders. Alongside fellow fourth-year players Shevana Laput, Amie Provido, and Lyka De Leon, she is tasked with guiding a younger roster hungry to return to championship form.

“Siguro mai-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 Canino during the league’s Media Day.

Her voice carries more weight now. The Lady Spikers are coming off two frustrating seasons after winning the crown in her rookie year. They placed third in Season 86 and were swept by National University in last season’s finals — heartbreaks that still linger.

But the SEA Games experience added another layer of maturity.

Competing internationally demanded composure and adaptability, especially in tight matches where momentum swings quickly. That growth, Canino hopes, translates into steadier leadership for La Salle.

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EMBRACING LEADERSHIP

Angel Canino is ready to take the reins of the DLSU Lady Spikers as she steps up to lead the squad into the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament.#UAAPSeason88 #StrengthInMotionHopeInAction #LegendsStartHere pic.twitter.com/VhAkIDf6TH

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) February 12, 2026

“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.”

La Salle opens its Season 88 campaign against Far Eastern University on February 14, with renewed urgency fueling its preparation.

“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.”

The fourth-place finish in the SEA Games may not have delivered a medal, but it gave Canino perspective — that growth often comes before glory.

As UAAP Season 88 approaches, La Salle’s bid to reclaim the throne will lean heavily on its veterans. And at the center of that push stands a player who has seen both the sting of near-misses at home and the grind of representing the country abroad.

This time, Angel Canino is not just chasing another title.

She is leading the way.

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