What's wrong with swag? Defending champions DLSU Lady Spikers find themselves repeating history with a loss to the UST Golden Tigresses, and Angel Canino got the brunt of the bashers.
Bardagulan is fun to watch. Attacking the person online? Not so much.
Angel Canino, a crowd darling from UAAP Season 85, found herself at the receiving end of hate on social media. This came as the defending champions DLSU Lady Spikers lost a tough five setter against the UST Golden Tigresses in round one of UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball.
It was a seeming replay of what happened last year.
Back then, the Eya Laure-led UST Golden Tigresses earned the moniker of streakbusters. They ensured there would be no sweep in the preliminaries, as the Golden Tigresses handed the De La Salle Lady Spikers their first loss of the season.
[ALSO READ: NO SWEEP! Eya Laure on fire as UST deals first La Salle loss in UAAP Season 85]
In Season 86, Angge Poyos and Cassie Carballos stepped up to fill the former Queen Tigress' void by taking down defending champions La Salle once again in five sets.
[ALSO READ: UAAP: UST sends strong statement with five-set conquest of champion La Salle]
With UST up 2-0, Angel Canino was pivotal in keeping La Salle alive in the third set.
In the fourth frame, a solid block gave Angel enough reason for a smile and a little bit of sashaying to celebrate.
Come the pivotal fifth, the Season 85 Rookie of the Year-Most Valuable Player of the Year avoided a two-person block with her spike. Coach Ramil de Jesus reached out for a fist bump, and Canino hit it for a seeming low five instead, erupting in a roar.
A number of fans on X (formerly known as Twitter) didn't appreciate her kind of celebration, commenting on this video Canino would smile now, only to cry a few minutes later as UST came out on top.
La Salle fans were quick to post on Canino's defense.
Even some UST fans called out the bashers.
Maybe it's just La Salle being La Salle?
After all, alumni of the DLSU system have brought that swagger to the pros. Case in point: Aby Maraño, who has made swaggy celebrations her signature.
It's all about having fun.
"Normal lang talaga sa'kin na parang binabakla ko kasi nag-eenjoy ako 'pag ganun eh. Alam niyo naman sa life natin, 'pag walang mga bading, dull! Boring!" Tyang said after a victory with the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers.
And for Maraño, it's not about demoralizing her opponents. It's about lifting her squad.
"Kaya forda show kung paano ako maglaro. Nakikita ko na 'pag nag-eenjoy ako at nalalabas ko 'yung sarili ko sa laro, nabu-boost 'yung confidence ng teammates ko."
[ALSO READ: Regine Diego remains unfazed despite haters, seeks to inspire women more]
Tyang has long since learned to brush off the hate.
"Ke may gagawin kang maganda or wala kang gagawin, may masasabi pa rin talaga sa 'yo. 'Di ko lang alam kung para saan 'yun, ano bang purpose nila para sirain 'yung laro. Whether sabihin nila 'yun o hinde, eto na kami, tuloy-tuloy na talaga 'to," Maraño said to One Sports after training.
"Ganun talaga style namin of playing. Kumbaga, swag is always part of our game and normal naman siya."
And it's the same lesson she shared to UST's Eya Laure, who has been maligned due to having a very fierce game face herself, when they got together as part of the Chery Tiggo Crossovers.
"Lagi kaming nag-aagree na bago mag-swag, kailangan maganda muna 'yung piner-perform. Syempre 'di naman pwedeng puro swag lang," Laure told One Sports.
"Syempre, di kami mauuna sa mga ganyang bagay. Kapag inunahan kami, dun lang lumalabas 'yung kung ano 'yung swag na nakikita."
[ALSO READ: 'Rarampa na tayo ah?': Eya Laure, Aby Maraño can't wait to bring the swag for Chery Tiggo in PVL]
Having schools to root for has definitely brought out the intense rivalry between students and alumni alike. It's a tribe. You fight and cheer for your own.
Sure, bringing on the swag means you gotta learn to take the punches when you go down in the end. But it's all part of the game.
And what better way to know a player has well and truly given her all than to witness her roars, her celebrations, and her tears?
Remember this extremely entertaining Game 1 of the UAAP Season 85 Finals when Bella Belen and Angel Canino exchanged haughty staredowns?
Angel explained, the swag ought to be expected, "It's part of the game naman."
And it led to this utterly heartwarming moment when Belen and Canino hugged it out after La Salle won the championship.
That's just it. It's just a part of the game. It all ends when the first team reaches 25, or even 15 for the fifth.
And if a ROY-MVP/UAAP champion can't swag and have fun after, who can?