NOW THAT the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament is just a day away, we can see how close the competition will be when the league begins on Saturday at the SM MOA Arena in Pasay.
However, there are always two sides to a story when entering a league full of driven and skilled athletes. One is aspiring to steal the crown, while the other is attempting to defend their outstanding previous season.
This year, the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers’ star player, Angel Canino, is back and eager to compete. More than that, she’s eager to lead her team in their redemption quest this season.
On the other side of the coin, Bella Belen of the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs has already stated that this will be her final year of playing for the university. Adding a little extra inspiration to end on a positive note.
Canino will Lead
Coming in as Season 85’s reigning champions, the Lady Spikers completed Season 86 in third place after being dethroned by the UST Golden Spikers in the Final 4, denying them the opportunity to defend their title in the finals.
With that, the former Rookie of the Year-MVP is more than ready to start a new chapter. Canino is eager to lead the Lady Spikers and use last season as motivation to reclaim the championship.
“Sobrang laking motivation po sa amin ‘yun as a team,” said the Lady Spikers Season 87 team captain during the press conference on Thursday in Pasay, while also noting the right-hand injury that sidelined her for a while.
“Lalo-lalo na po sa akin kasi marami po akong games na nawala. So for me talaga, ayoko nang mangyari ulit na hindi ko akong makakalaro.”
“Gusto ko talaga na makatulong ako sa makakaya ko po sa team. Syempre, malaking hugot po ‘yun kasi ang goal talaga namin as a Lady Spiker, goal ko as a leader, and goal ng mga coaches is mag-champion po kami,” she added.
However, Canino recognizes that achieving this goal will be a challenge, given the amount of players who have graduated and left La Salle, but she is eager to live up to her expectations every game.
Last Dance for Belen
Meanwhile, NU’s two-time UAAP MVP, Belen, stated on Thursday that this will be her final year wearing the Jhocson-based university’s jersey, but the goal remains the same: win the title.
“Sobrang excited ako to play ngayon kasi this is my final year na nga with NU and syempre gusto namin mag-back-to-back,” Belen told reporters during the pre-season press conference.
“Hindi namin siya nagawa nung [Season] 85, so ngayon mas iba ‘yung mindset nung team, kasi mas mahirap mag-defend ng crown kaysa umagaw ng crown,” she went on to say.
Despite being assured of her exit, the Lady Bulldogs spiker is fully committed to NU. She stated that she will deal with her future goals when the time comes for her to enter the professional world.
“Personally, hindi ko pa po siya masyado naiisip, like kung ano ‘yung dapat kong i-perform ko sa pro. ‘Yung mindset ko po ngayon is UAAP muna. Tatapusin ko muna ‘yung UAAP season ko with NU nang maganda,” Belen added.
With Canino and Belen carrying a lot of weight behind them, fans may expect a tough opening game between DLSU and NU on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at the same Pasay venue to kick off their respective campaigns.
