Angel Canino shines as Alas Pilipinas clinches SEA V.League bronze

Angel Canino earned the Best Outside Spiker award as Alas Pilipinas secured its third consecutive Southeast Asia V.League bronze medal with a four-set victory over Indonesia, 25-20, 25-20, 16-25, 25-13, last Sunday, August 4, in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

Despite settling for bronze again, Canino’s stellar all-around performance stood out in the tournament. The young star provided steady scoring, strong defense at the net, and consistent leadership throughout the national team’s campaign.

Alas Pilipinas started the tournament with losses to eventual champion Thailand and runner-up Vietnam but regrouped against Indonesia to extend their podium streak.

Canino, along with Dell Palomata, Alyssa Solomon, Fifi Sharma, and Eya Laure, powered the Filipinas to a commanding 18-6 run in the deciding set to seal the victory.

Indonesia led 13-8 midway through the first set before the Filipinas tied the game at 13-all, with Canino and Sharma leading a 9-5 finishing kick to take the opener. Alas built on that momentum in the second set, never allowing Indonesia to catch up.

The Indonesians fought back in the third set as the Filipinas committed eight unforced errors, but Alas regained control in the fourth. Canino delivered timely attacks while Solomon and Laure provided the finishing blows to end the match and secure the medal.

With the bronze medal and her individual award, Canino solidified her status as one of the country’s brightest volleyball prospects.

Alas Pilipinas will now look to build on this performance as they head into the second leg of the SEA V.League in Vietnam from August 8 to 10, aiming for a higher finish.