LA SALLE head coach Ramil de Jesus once talked about the need to recruit and build ‘Class A players’ to have a fighting chance in today’s UAAP women’s volleyball scene.
Quite literally, RDJ has two A-list outside hitters on hand in former rookie-MVP Angel Canino and Alleiah Malaluan.
And both young spikers were born and bred green-and-white as champion aces of De La Salle-Zobel (DLSZ) back in high school.
READ: Does Angel Canino have to go 'Valdez' for La Salle to stay alive?
It was Canino and Malaluan who joined forces for DLSZ in the UAAP Season 81 girls’ volleyball tournament in 2018 to deny the likes of Bella Belen and National University-Nazareth School (NUNS) a championship four-peat.
The Tina Salak-led Junior Lady Archers torched the Lady Bullpups twice in a pair of five-set wins in the best-of-three finals to win the school’s 10th title at NUNS’ expense.
The double-A duo won both first and second best outside hitter nods, with Canino emerging as the season MVP.
They were able to replicate that success once in the college ranks in Season 85 in a carbon copy of that Season 81 juniors’ run — two five-set wins in the finals to dethrone the Lady Bulldogs.
Down 0-1 in the Season 87 title series, still against National U, can Canino and Malaluan save La Salle from the jaws of another failed title run?
Will familiarity breed success again?
At the very least from their end, the green-and-white power duo will bank on their longstanding chemistry bent on bringing Taft back on top.
“‘Yung pagsasama naman namin ni ate Leiah [Malaluan], ever since high school, malaking tulong din siya lalo na sa loob ng court kasi meron akong taong napagkakatiwalaan kaya may kumpiyansa ako,” Canino said.
“Matagal ko na siya nakasama at na-experience sa loob ng court. ‘Yung connection namin ni ate Leiah, it’s always been there naman. Knowing naman sa lahat ng pinaghirapan ni ate Leiah,’ yung connection namin sa loob ng court, kung anumang meron kami, we try to share it with others also para mas buo pa rin kami.”
Malaluan added: “Sobrang saya ko to play with Angel [Canino]. ‘Yung pinagsamahan namin in the past few years, ‘yun na lang ‘yung pinaghuhugutan namin ng lakas sa isa’t isa. “The connection, nandu’n naman. Mas kailangan pa namin maging strong pa para mas ready kami.”
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