ANGEL Canino was never going to make China’s height advantage disappear, but she gave Alas Pilipinas Women something almost as valuable: an attacker capable of meeting the challenge head-on.
Back in the national team lineup after missing the SEA V.Cup, the 5-foot-11 La Salle star led Alas with 14 points in its 18-25, 22-25, 8-25 loss to the reigning Asian Games champions on Wednesday at the Okazaki Central Park General Gymnasium.
READ: Alas Women fight valiantly before losing to China in Asiad debut
Canino went 13-of-28 on attacks for a 46.43 percent success rate and added an ace, shouldering a significant portion of the Philippine offense against a Chinese side that had 11 of its 12 players standing at least six feet tall.
The physical mismatch was evident from the opening exchanges. Even China’s 5-foot-8 libero Mengjie Wang stood taller than four players on the Philippine roster, leaving Canino as one of Alas’ few attackers who could bring comparable size to the net.
More importantly, she gave the Nationals an option they could repeatedly turn to when they needed to score. Canino attacked aggressively from the wing and helped Alas remain competitive through the opening two sets before China pulled away in the third.
Her showing also underscored the difference her return can make for Alas.
The Nationals had already reached a historic silver-medal finish in the SEA V.Cup without Canino, proving they could compete with the regional field even in her absence. The Asian Games, however, presents a different level of challenge, and her ability to handle a heavy offensive workload gives Alas another proven scoring option.
That was particularly valuable against China, which has won women’s volleyball gold in nine of the last 11 Asian Games.
Canino accounted for over a third of Alas’ 37 attack attempts, providing much of the resistance as the Philippines tried to stay within striking distance in the first two sets. China eventually took control and limited the Nationals to just eight points in the third.
Still, Canino’s return offered one of the clearest positives from the opener. She brought reliable scoring, added size to the lineup and showed she could carry a significant offensive load against one of Asia’s most physically imposing teams.
After making history without her in the SEA V.Cup, Alas now has Canino back as it continues its fight for a quarterfinal berth in the Asian Games.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
