DE La Salle-Zobel stars Angel Canino and Alleiah Malaluan are grateful for their chance to try out for the women’s national volleyball pool organized by Larong Volleyball Sa Pilipinas Inc. for the U-23 pool.
Canino and Malaluan, the cornerstones of the Junior Lady Spikers team that ended the four-year reign of NU Lady Bullpups to rule the UAAP Season 81 girls’ volleyball, attended the two-day tryouts on Thursday and Friday at the Arellano School of Law Gym along Taft Ave.
LVPI will be forming a possible 16-woman pool for the third Asian Women's Under-23 Volleyball Championship in Vietnam on July 13-21.
“Super laki ng opportunity ko na makarating dito, even tryouts lang po siya,” said Canino, the reigning UAAP Girls’ season and Finals MVP. “Ang sarap sa feeling na andito ka po sa tryouts, makikita po ang mga idol mo po, tapos makikita din nila kung ano kaya mo.”
Malaluan agreed with her co-star.
“Ang laking opportunity po for me to grow as a person din at tsaka magmature,” said the 16-year-old Opposite hitter. “Malaking chance po yung marepresent yung Philippines and nakakataas ng morale. It’s a great experience po because makakasama mo rin yung ibang magagaling na players.”
Canino and Malaluan added that their Season 81 breakthrough opened the opportunity for them as well as their DLSZ teammates Justine Jazareno, Bea Bonafe, and Jewel Encarnacion as LVPI invited the Junior Lady Spikers through head coach and legend setter Tina Salak.
And their championship run gave them the guts to attend the tryouts along with the top volleyball players in the country.
“Super laki po siya kasi nakuha po siya namin after five years na La Salle, na hindi nakukuha yung ano, parati nagbo-bronze,” the 15-year-old Canino said. “Super duper happy po talaga kasi kami yung batch na nakakuha ulit ng championship, tapos maho-hold yan sa amin hanggang sa paglaki namin sa future.”
“Yung mataas na morale namin from championship yun po yung nakatulong sa bawat isa sa amin kasi po namotivate po kami to do better,” added Malaluan.
The two Junior Lady Spikers wowed volleyball stars Alyssa Valdez and former De La Salle star Aby Maraño.
Canino and Malaluan were both honored by the flattering words of the national team mainstays.
“Very inspiring po kasi dati napapanood lang sa tv ngayon nakakalaro na,” Malaluan said. “Thank you po kasi kahit halos first time ko mag-try out sa ganitong level napansin po nila ako.”
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