Angel Canino skips Alas Pilipinas training camp in Japan

Alas Pilipinas women’s national team arrive in Japan for its training camp ahead of the SEA V.League. Angel Canino will be missing the Osaka camp due to student-athlete duties. –PNVF PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Angel Canino will be missing Alas Pilipinas’ training camp due to her student-athlete commitment with La Salle, while Eya Laure, Jennifer Nierva, and Alyssa Solomon rejoined the squad in Japan.

The Philippine women’s volleyball team safely arrived in Osaka on Wednesday with Cherry Tiggo stars Laure and Nierva reuniting with the team after missing the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup.

Canino, meanwhile, won’t be able to join their two-week camp in preparation for the SEA V League in August according to national team coach Jorge Souza De Brito.

READ: Bella Belen, Angel Canino relish first team-up at Alas Pilipinas

“We’d like [to have her] but she’s training with DLSU,” said De Brito in a message to Inquirer Sports.

The Brazilian coach said the national team’s deal with La Salle was until the FIVB Challenger Cup, where Canino led the way in scoring with Sisi Rondina only to fall to Vietnam in a knockout quarterfinal game.

Canino emerged as the Best Opposite of the AVC Challenge Cup in Manila last June when Alas made history with its first-ever bronze medal in any AVC tournament.

READ: Angel Canino a ‘natural killer’ despite different role for Alas Pilipinas

Inquirer Sports sought Canino’s camp for confirmation but it has yet to respond as of posting time. 

Meanwhile, the pair of Laure and Nierva missed the buildup for the previous Volleyball Nations League (VNL) qualifier after not receiving clearance from their mother club to join the nationals. 

Fil-Americans join Alas pool

After the talks between the Crossovers and the Philippine National Volleyball Federation, Laure and Nierva finally got the go signal to rejoin the squad.

De Brito also said two Filipino-Americans, setter Tia Andaya and libero Hannah Stires, have also been added to the training pool from the PNVF tryouts in the United States.

READ: De Brito says Alas has ‘enough time’ in bid for SEA Games podium

Solomon, the UAAP Season 86 Finals MVP, likewise flew to Japan after missing the Challenger Cup due to an injury. Her NU teammates Bella Belen and Arah Panique led the Lady Bulldogs to a perfect Shakey’s Super League National Invitationals title run a night before their flight.

Leading the Alas team are Japan V.League setter Jia De Guzman, Rondina, Dawn Macandili-Catindig, Jema Galanza, Vanie Gandler, Fifi Sharma, Faith Nisperos, Dell Palomata, Cherry Nunag, and PVL rookies Thea Gagate and Julia Coronel.