By NIKOLE JAVIER
She’s a rookie, but she’s a beast of a player.
Her name is Angel Canino.
Showing the poise and courage of a grizzled veteran, the pride of Bacolod produced 18 points in leading La Salle to a dramatic 25-20, 16-25, 25-8, 15-25, 16-14 win over University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament on Sunday, Feb. 26, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Apart from her power game, the 5-foot-11Canino captivated the hearts of La Salle supporters with her winsome smile which she flashed each time she scored.
She highlighted her game by tallying 16 attacks, one block and an ace to bring La Salle to its first win of the season.
Veterans Jolina dela Cruz and Leila Cruz did not disappoint they finished with 14 and 12 respectively, respectively.
Given little chance to survive La Salle’s onslaught after losing the third set badly, the Tigresses fought back ferociously to the delight of their fans, peppering the Taft-base squad with booming spikes apart from coming through with clever shots to set the tone for a wild finish.
In the deciding set that had the color of a final match, the Lady Spikers displayed the steely resolve to win the match that enabled new head coach Noel Orcullo to heave a huge sigh of relief.
“Sobrang intense talaga ‘yong nangyari breaks of the game eh. Kahit sino na lang doon. Sinuwerte kami sa amin pumanig ‘yong break. Learning experience. Nakakuha ng kumpiyansa,” said Orcullo.
Laure paced the Tigresses with a 19-point outing, while Milena Alessandrini added 10 in the losing effort.
Meantime, Far Eastern University drew inspired game from setter Tin Ubaldo on the way to a 25-16, 23-25, 25-17, 26-24 victory over the University of the Philippines.
Ubaldo finished with 16 excellent sets apart from tallying five points off three attacks and two blocks.
Three other FEU players scored in double figures, with Jovelyn Fernandez finishing 18 points as the Lady Tamaraws snapped an 11-game losing streak dating back last season to give rookie coach Tina Salak a winning start.
