Rookie Angel Canino dropped 25 points to tow the unbeaten De La Salle University closer to clinching the top seed in the quarterfinals after beating University of Santo Tomas, 22-25, 27-25, 25-16, 25-21, in the second round of the Shakey's Super League Collegiate Pre-Season Championship Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The Lady Spikers turned to the 19-year-old winger at crunch time as La Salle hiked its Pool F carryover win-loss record to 2-0.
"She's very consistent. What she does in practice she's showing it in the game," La Salle coach Noel Orcullo said.
The former University Athletic Association of the Philippines high school Most Valuable Player hammered down 19 kills including the hit that put the Lady Spikers at match point.
She added four aces and two kill blocks.
"This is a huge boost for us as a team because we defeated a rival in the UAAP," Canino said.
Canino played clutch in the closing stretch of the second set, hitting a kill that put the Lady Spikers at set point, 24-23. After the Tigresses forced a deuce, Canino again gave La Salle the advantage with another spike.
UST tied it again but after Cassandra Carballo overshoots her serve Canino smashed a back row hit to close the frame and tie the match.
From there the Lady Spikers turned the tables around to hand the Tigresses their first defeat in the tournament after winning four straight.
Veteran Jolina Dela Cruz added 11 markers while Thea Gagate had nine for La Salle, which will take on Adamson University on 5 November in the resumption of the postponed match last Saturday.
UST played sans veteran Eya Laure as the Tigresses dropped to a 1-1 carryover card.
Regina Jurado had 12 points while Xyza Gula finished with 11 markers.
Meanwhile, the Lady Falcons turned back Far Eastern University, 25-15, 24-26, 25-18, 25-18, behind the duo of Trisha Tubu and veteran Lucille Almonte.
The Lady Falcons pulled away midway in the fourth set on their way to improving their Pool F carryover record to 1-1.
Tubu pounded 12 of her 13 points on kills while Almonte got 11 markers from nine attacks and two aces. Kate Santiago and Antonette Adolfo added eight and seven points, respectively.
The Lady Falcons broke a 9-9 deadlock in the fourth frame with a 7-3 run and opened a commanding 23-16 lead off a hit by Adolfo. The Lady Tamaraws answered with back-to-back points but Ayesha Juegos stopped FEU's run with an off the block hit.
Tubu iced the game with a crisp crosscourt hit.
Chenie Tagaod led the Lady Tamaraws, who dropped to 0-2 carryover card, with 14 points with 12 coming off spikes. Barbie Jamili and Jean Asis got 10 markers each for FEU, which will face UST on 5 November.
The quarterfinals will begin on 6 November while the Final Four is slated on 11 November and the winner-take-all championship match is set on 19 November.
