Angel Canino, playing as an opposite spiker, was nothing short of spectacular as she helped Alas Pilipinas take down Australia in her seniors national team debut in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup.
Moments after Alas Pilipinas pulled off a rousing victory over Australia on Thursday night, the spirited Filipino crowd inside the Rizal Memorial Coliseum chanted Angel Canino’s name.
Canino, after all, was nothing short of spectacular in her seniors national team debut, emerging as one of the heroes behind the country’s triumphant start in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup.
The La Salle standout delivered 17 points, 12 of which coming in the last two frames of the pressure-packed bout.
After demonstrating such composure and maturity, Canino could not help but feel delighted.
However, the 20-year-old, who even embraced the challenge of making a switch from outside hitter to opposite, attributed her stellar outing to the unwavering support of her teammates and coaches.
"I'm very happy lang kasi siyempre I'm not expecting really sa self ko and hindi ko naman po magagawa lahat nang ‘to kung wala po ‘yung mga teammates ko,” Canino bared.
“Credits din sa teammates ko po and credits din sa coaches kasi they guide me talaga inside and outside the court. So sobrang thankful ako sa kanila kasi nandiyan sila para sa akin."
Canino understands that wearing the national colors means giving it your all.
For this exact reason, she spared no effort on the court, despite admitting just days ago that she's still not at full physical strength.
“Talagang sinasabi ko lang sa sarili ko na all-out na ko kasi walang mangyayari kung mago-all out ka eh, kung gagawin mo na ikot lang sa loob ka tapos wala kang gagawin,” she said.
“So, I mean sa isip ko, all out na, labas mo na lahat ng pwede mong ilabas.”
Canino also expressed her delight over the passionate Filipino supporters, who provided an additional source of strength and inspiration for her and the team.
"Sobrang nakakatuwa po as in parang pagpasok ko dito [sa court] grabe, grabe talaga, puno talaga to na mga Pilipino, tapos parang nakikita ko sila na nage-effort din na sumisigaw, sumusuporta so grabe, sobrang overwhelming ng feeling,” she shared.
“Sobrang happy ko siyempre, we're all Filipinos here and we're here to support each other."
@onesportsphl Nakakakilig talaga ma-setan ni Jia-mazing. 🥹🩷 Player of the Game Angel Canino credits this huge first win for Alas Pilipinas to the coaches and their team captain, Jia de Guzman. | via Jamie Velasco/One Sports Digital #OSOnTheSpot #AVCChallengeCup #AlasPilipinas #SportsonTiktok
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Canino and the rest of Alas Pilipinas seek to sustain their fine form when they aim for 2-0 against India tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. It will air on One Sports, One Sports+, and the Pilipinas Live app.