Canino, Lady Spikers motivated by UAAP failed title defense

MANILA, Philippines -- The lost season of La Salle will serve as a motivation for the Lady Spikers next year, star Angel Canino said.

La Salle failed to defend their championship in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament after a tough five-set loss Sunday against the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses, 20-25, 25-16, 20-25, 25-19, 7-15.

Canino, after the match, said that the Taft-based squad will be going for broke next season.

“Of course, what happened was sad but we will not stop here,” she told reporters in Filipino.

“It will serve as a motivation for us,” she added.

The reigning Most Valuable Player scored 14 points for La Salle, who had gargantuan outputs from Shevana Laput and Thea Gagate.

Laput finished with 20, while Gagate had 16.

Ultimately, the high-octane offense of the Tigresses was just too much to handle.

For his part, La Salle assistant coach Noel Orcullo was at a loss for words with how the season ended.

“That is what we reached, and that is the result. Next year, we will bounce back,” he said.

Despite the season ending loss, DLSU fans serenade the Lady Spikers with cheers outside of the Mall of Asia Arena

After the game, DLSU gives time to show their love to the fans | @StarSportsHub @PhilstarNews #UAAPSeason86 pic.twitter.com/oeiSHjlyHI

— Luisa Morales (@mluisamorales_) May 5, 2024

After the game, fans of La Salle waited for the Lady Spikers to go out of the Mall of Asia Arena, who then lauded the team.

Canino voiced joy with the support of the fans.

“Of course, it is very touching because despite all the wins and all the losses, they are there. So, it is overwhelming,” she said.

“We know that they love us, and they know that we love them.”