HAIKOU, China — While a tenth-place finish was not initially the goal, head coach Oliver Balse is proud of Alas Pilipinas Boys' finish in the 2026 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Boys’ Under-18 Volleyball Championship.
The Philippine team dreamt of making it to the Top 4 in order to book a 2027 FIVB Boys’ U19 World Championship ticket, but with the cards they were dealt, the head tactician was proud of how the team showed up in this tournament.
The nationals only had one and a half months to prepare for the tournament and had a late notice on whether they would push through in the AVC U18 match as issues hound the current Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF).
Balse told The Manila Times that the team did everything they could to go home with pride.
“I am very proud; our run here is still very successful. We only had a short time to prepare, and we showed our strength, and we fought really hard. So, I hope in the future we can have a higher place. But this time? We really hoped that we had 3-4 months of rest, so that we could keep up with other nations,” the first-time national team coach shared.
Alas had the chance to finish ninth place, but they faltered to Indonesia in four sets in the classification round, 25-23, 18-25, 15-25, 14-25.
“From their eleventh finish in Bahrain… I was really hoping for us to jump higher from the previous finish. I was hoping for a ninth place finish, but okay… I am still proud of the kids; they showed out, and they’re improving, despite falling short in our last game,” he added.
The head tactician also recalled the team’s almost historic eighth quarterfinals berth in a five-set loss against India, where the team was up by 2-0, 25-16, 25-20, 20-25, 23-25, 4-15.
“Remember India? We were so close to a Top 8 finish, but again, it’s always about maturity; you can’t just take any wins that you want. So when we were relegated to the classification round, our initial goal was to get the highest number possible.”
Balse was the first-ever Filipino import who played overseas in Malaysia; he also suited up for the national team during his prime years.
“Well, it’s different, as a head coach and as a player, everything is different. Playing and coaching are two different things, but I am happy to share my knowledge and experience with others; this stint is something that I would treasure.”
The Alas Boys also beat Australia (9th-16th classification round) and Hong Kong, China (9th-12th round).
Al-Raquib Dais was the leading scorer for the team after averaging 12.83 points per game, and was the best player of the match in a win over Australia after a huge 26-point outing.
Team captain Howard Guerra, who wore two hats in the tournament as he served as a setter and a spiker for the team, averaged 6.83 points.
Iran reigned supreme in the 2026 AVC Boys’ U18 Volleyball Championship after defeating Japan in a four-set clash last Saturday night, 23-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-22.
This is Iran’s eighth title in the tournament, winning the 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2022, and 2026 editions.
