LA SALLE’s power trio is about to trade the green-and-white for a shade of blue.
READ: Nearly teammates at Adamson, Belen and Nitura now link up at Alas
Angel Canino, Shevana Laput, and Amie Provido are all set to join Alas Pilipinas training in the lead-up to the 2025 AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup from Jun. 7 to 14.
Alas head coach Jorge Souza de Brito told SPIN.ph that the multi-awarded Lady Spikers trio will be lent by the school to join national team training in the coming days.
As such, all three of them will be in consideration to make the final 14 ahead of the Filipinos’ bid to defend - or even surpass - their bronze medal finish in the Nations Cup, formerly known as the Challenge Cup.
Although they fell short of reclaiming the UAAP women’s volleyball crown, the Lady Spikers did not leave Season 87 empty-handed upon emerging as the most decorated team with four individual awardees.
Canino was named second-best outside hitter, as Laput and Provido earned their first top opposite hitter and middle blocker nods, respectively, with Lyka de Leon feted as best libero as well.
Laput also took home the first-ever Defensive Player of the Finals nod on top of her first silver medal.
As such, the La Salle troika will join another trio of Season 87 co-awardees who have already begun training with the national team in National U’s three-time MVP Bella Belen and two-time best setter Lams Lamina, along with Adamson’s top rookie Shaina Nitura.
In total, there will now be nine past and present Lady Spikers donning Alas blue, including Dawn Catindig, Thea Gagate, Fifi Sharma, Mars Alba, Julia Coronel, and Justine Jazareno.
Three in, four out
The encouraging news of three huge additions unfortunately came with a handful of key withdrawals, as four out of the 33 invited players have begged off from national duties.
De Brito also confirmed to SPIN.ph that Creamline’s Tots Carlos, ZUS Coffee’s Chai Troncoso, and the Akari duo of Eli Soyud alongside mainstay Faith Nisperos will no longer join national team activities.
“These [players] are absent because of injuries or [their] own decision [not to join],” de Brito said.
Carlos, a three-time PVL MVP, had to turn down her first Alas invite last year in the midst of her four-month knee injury layoff.
While she was able to return with limited game time in the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference, she was excluded from the Cool Smashers' 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League roster.
For her part, Nisperos, who was part of last year's Challenge Cup bronze-winning national team, missed all three games of the Chargers' bronze-medal triumph over Choco Mucho.
No definite reason was given for her sudden absence, as is the case with Soyud and Troncoso’s decisions to forego their Alas call-ups.
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