Lady Spikers searching for ‘something stronger’ to dethrone Bulldogs

At the center of La Salle’s championship chase are Angel Canino and Alleiah Malaluan, standouts who’ve develop into steadying forces for the Lady Spikers.

They percentage a bond bolstered no longer simplest via time at the court docket but in addition thru triumphs and heartbreaks.

Both mirrored on that connection forward of a showdown with National University and a possibility to ship every other championship within the UAAP girls’s volleyball event.

“I’m really happy to be playing with Angel,” Malaluan stated. “At the same time, we’re drawing from all the years we’ve been together. The connection is already there, but we still need something stronger so we’re really ready when the Finals come.”

“My partnership with [Malaluan], ever since high school [at Zobel], has helped a lot—especially on the court—because I have someone I can trust,” Canino stated. “We’ve been in combination for see you later and feature long past thru so much.

“Our connection is there, and everyone has witnessed the effort Leiah has put in and the bond we’ve built,” Canino added. “Whatever we have, we try to share it. We share our bond with the rest of the team so that we stay united.”

That familiarity has develop into integral for La Salle, a perennial contender for the identify. It was once on complete show within the Final Four in opposition to University of Santo Tomas (UST) final week.

Sense of neighborhood

Now, the pair is depending on that chemistry to return thru all over again when the lighting fixtures shine brightest and the stakes are absolute best this Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum in opposition to the top-ranked and protecting champion Lady Bulldogs.

For Canino and Malaluan, this looming Finals duel isn’t simply every other high-stakes fit—it’s a continuation of a adventure that started lengthy prior to they donned the long-lasting green-and-white jerseys in combination in highschool.

“We’ve been through so much together,” Canino added. “That connection, we bring it to the rest of the team.”

It’s that sense of continuity—of veterans guiding the more youthful gamers, of custom handed down—that has lengthy outlined the Lady Spikers below trainer Ramil de Jesus.

“The job’s not done. Actually, it’s just beginning,” stated Malaluan.

“This is only the beginning of what they call the real battle,” Canino stated. “We have to prepare and improve whatever needs fixing. Because we have a goal for the team.”