UAAP Season 85 Rookie-MVP and champion Angel Canino is happy to see her batchmate Shevana Laput step into a leadership role with La Salle for Season 88.
Taking over the captaincy of a team is always a tall task, especially in a team as successful as the DLSU Lady Spikers.
But UAAP champion Angel Canino knows that the Taft-based squad is in capable hands, as the lead role goes to her batch mate and fellow veteran Shevana Laput for UAAP Season 88.
With redemption on their minds, La Salle approaches the new season with renewed vigor.
And Laput has been able to keep things steady during opening weekend, where they conquered the FEU Lady Spikers in three sets, 25-19, 25-14, 27-25, last Saturday.
[RELATED: Shevana Laput, La Salle whip FEU for strong UAAP Season 88 opener]
“Talagang nagbi-bring ng positive energy sa loob ng court kasi ano siya e up girl siya, positive girly, hype girl talaga siya ever since. And 'yung pagiging positive niya talaga niya nadadala niya sa loob ng court like may mga teammates kami na nada-down pero dahil sa ginagawa niya naa-up kami,” Canino said.
“So napu-push kaming seniors na maging positive so magandang environment talaga, naging maganda 'yung environment namin nung naging captain si Shevana.”
Laput has always been known to rally her team, especially in difficult moments in the past two seasons where the Lady Spikers fell short of their ultimate goal of the championship.
Now that Laput has inherited the captain role, Canino said that both of them are working well together.
“Nung kami mag batchmates talaga maganda 'yung naging dynamics namin kasi meron kaming good guy, bad guy so nagiging pantay talaga kasi sa labas ng court magbibigay kami ng opinyon namin kaming mga seniors and doon lang namin pag-uusapan kung anong best para sa team,” said Canino.
“Lagi naming iniisip kung anong pinaka-best sa team hindi best para sa amin lang seniors or best para sa mga bata hindi siya bias base lahat ng sinasabi namin kaya nagiging maganda 'yung dynamic namin kaya lumalabas yung result starting today,” she continued.
Laput and Canino’s partnership also manifested in the stat sheet, with the duo leading the scoring against FEU with 23 and 15 points, respectively.
Championship or bust
While the Lady Spikers have always been expected to succeed, there is something unique about the team’s perspective in UAAP Season 88.
Following back-to-back years of heartbreak, the team has shown tremendous confidence in themselves.
Laput herself has said multiple times that a championship is inevitable for the Taft-based squad in Season 88, and Canino is along for the ride.
“[Agree po ako kay Shevana] kasi wala na talaga kaming patutunguhan na kung hindi 'yun lang, 'yun talaga yung gusto namin bago kami pumasok ng UAAP mataas 'yung kumpiyansa sa sarili namin isa 'yun sa nagbibigay ng kumpiyansa sa amin kasi bawal kami bumaba,” said Canino.
“Ayun yung legacy namin and ayaw na namin bumalik sa heartbreak na naramdaman namin for the past few years na nandidito kami sa UAAP so as seniors talaga, gusto namin na iparamdam 'yun sa lahat ng tao at sa teammates namin na wala ng iba kung hindi umakyat sa taas hindi na para bumaba pa po kami.”
The task will be easier said than done for La Salle, especially as the season is just getting started.
La Salle returns to action in a high-stakes contest against a bounce back-seeking UST side in their blockbuster match on Sunday, February 22, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.