Sam Cantada, the Rookie of the Year for UAAP Season 88, is determined to turn her team's recent loss into motivation for the future. The National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs fell short of their three-peat aspirations, losing to La Salle with a 16-0 sweep in the championship.
Despite the disappointment, the 19-year-old spiker remains optimistic, stating that she will carry the lessons learned into the next season. "We really fought for this. We went through so much to be in the finals," she expressed after the game.
Cantada, who scored only two points in Game 1 and eight in Game 2 of the finals, achieved the Rookie of the Year title with an impressive 66.786 statistical points.
First of all, thank you, Lord, for giving me the talent to earn this award. And of course, thank you also to my coaches and teammates who truly trusted me, which helped me achieve this.
Sam Cantada
The young athlete took pride in competing against seasoned opponents like La Salle’s Angel Canino and Shevana Laput. "I can really learn a lot from them — seeing how brave they are and how much they truly want to win the game," she noted.
In addition to her accolades, Cantada has received an invite to join the Alas Pilipinas pool for the upcoming 2026 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Women’s Cup, scheduled from June 6 to 14 in Candon City.