NU's attempt to end La Salle's heartache could bring needed help

By: Angel B. Dukha III – 24 seconds ago

La Salle Lady Spikers star Angel Canino–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

La Salle has worn National University's number in all of the last five meetings, including their first-round meeting in the Season 86 UAAP Women's Volleyball Tournament.

And while they wouldn't necessarily say it, the Lady Bulldogs know they'll have their best chance to end this futile streak on Sunday when they meet in the second round, with La Salle star Angel Canino likely out or out away from 100 is percent at best.

“I'm confident our team can fight with or without Angel (playing),” National's charismatic star Bella Belen said after the Lady Bulldogs completed their quest to take a lead of two with a comprehensive 25-22 record had underpinned. 25-16, 25-15 win over Ateneo on Wednesday.

“Each of us knows what our job and our goal is,” added the first-ever Rookie of the Year (ROY) and Most Valuable Player (MVP). “We cannot lose to them (Lady Spikers) in this second round because we are now at a crucial stage.”

The University of Santo Tomas continues to lead the field with a record of 10-1, with La Salle at 9-1 and National at 9-2 after defeating the Blue Eagles. They're all in the Final Four, just the fourth qualifier where Far Eastern has an inside track, and the top two have yet to be determined.

Right hand bandaged

Canino, who repeated Belen's ROY MVP performance and led La Salle to the title last season, was sidelined for the last two games after her right hand was badly bandaged from an unspecified accident. Team officials declined to comment on the injury, although assistant coach Noel Orcullo said last week that their ace was being “monitored.”

La Salle has struggled to win its last two games without Canino, and this could be a golden opportunity for the Lady Bulldogs to break that spell and knock La Salle out of second place, depending on how many sets Sunday's game goes .

Santo Tomas and National have three games left, La Salle four, making the hunt for the semifinal advantage more interesting if Canino doesn't come back.

And the Bulldogs know they have the firepower to take on anyone.

“I am satisfied with the team's performance because we see that we are getting closer and closer to our goal,” said Alyssa Solomon, who scored a team-high 23 points against Ateneo. “We can't be complacent and we should always have the motivation to win.