For a while, Angel Canino genuinely thought her La Salle story might already be over.
Long before De La Salle University completed its historic unbeaten championship run in UAAP Season 88, the Lady Spikers superstar found herself torn between loyalty and opportunity — between staying in Taft and chasing professional volleyball overseas.
The offers were real. The temptation was, too.
“Honestly speaking po talaga, there were offers po internationally,” revealed Canino during La Salle’s sit-down interview with Rico Hizon on ANC. “Kaya napa-dalawang isip po ako last year.”
Coming off a heartbreaking Finals loss to National University in Season 87, Canino found herself at a crossroads familiar to many modern collegiate stars. The volleyball landscape had changed rapidly, with overseas clubs and professional teams now aggressively pursuing top UAAP talent even before they exhaust eligibility.
Former NU standouts Alyssa Solomon and Bella Belen had already chosen that route, leaving college early to begin their professional journeys in Japan and the PVL.
Canino could have easily done the same.
Instead, she stayed — and in doing so, became the emotional anchor of one of the most dominant campaigns in UAAP history.
What ultimately pulled her back to Taft wasn’t just unfinished business on the court. It was something far more personal.
“When I went back after the Southeast Asian Games [last December], naramdaman ko po talaga na I really love La Salle. I also asked my Ates, and binigay nila yung advice nila sa akin. I was thinking about it, may offer sa labas, pero I made a promise that I will stay for five years,” shared Canino.
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‘NAPA-DALAWANG ISIP TALAGA AKO LAST YEAR.’
Angel Canino revealed she received overseas offers last year and considered forgoing her remaining collegiate years.
READ: https://t.co/p2a6IW9VEG pic.twitter.com/iSkbNqozrf
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) May 17, 2026
That promise, made years ago to legendary coach Ramil de Jesus, eventually outweighed everything else.
And by staying, Canino didn’t just help La Salle reclaim the throne — she became part of a season that may define this generation of Lady Spikers forever.
The green-and-white side stormed through Season 88 with a perfect 16-0 record, capped by a dominant Finals sweep of defending champion National University. More importantly, the run restored the aura of invincibility that has long surrounded the program.
For Canino, though, the championship only deepened her attachment to the school she nearly left behind.
“Mahal na mahal ko po yung La Salle, and mas lalo pa po akong napamahal dahil dito sa Season 88 na sisterhood namin,” she said. “And napa-stay din ako dahil sa Lasallian community.”
Now, instead of exiting early, Canino is preparing for one final season with the Lady Spikers in Season 89 alongside the same core that brought La Salle back to the top.
And perhaps that is what makes her decision resonate even more.
At a time when many athletes are understandably tempted to leave early for bigger opportunities, Canino chose one more year of college — one more year of representing the school and teammates she says she learned to love even more after Season 88.
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