ALAS Pilipinas Girls have set a new benchmark, achieving the best-ever finish by any Philippine volleyball team at a world championship.
Caera Celis, Xyz Rayco and Jhaynna Bulandres found their spark again as the Philippines marched on to the Round of 16 of the FIVB Volleyball Girls U17 World Championship in Chile.
On the strength of two huge victories over world No. 8 Mexico and No. 20 Tunisia, plus a gritty stand in a 19-25, 16-25, 25-22, 25-19, 11-15 loss to world No. 12 Venezuela on Tuesday at the Liceo Mixto San Felipe, Alas Pilipinas Girls marched into the knockout phase alongside powerhouse teams China, USA, Korea and Poland.
By making it to the final 16 here, the Alas Pilipinas Girls have surpassed the Bryan Bagunas-led squad that fell just short of that stage at 19th in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship last year in the Philippines, and the team which placed 18th in the 1974 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship in Mexico.
It’s a milestone still unfolding, as Alas Pilipinas, which also boasts Madele Gale, Resty Olaguir, Frances Ramos and Jhenica Sadia, seek a place in the last eight when it takes on South Korea on Wednesday in Los Andes.
The coaching staff said it’s an unexpected feat, noting that after securing the World Championship berth with a fifth-place finish in the Asian Volleyball Confederation U16 Women’s Championship in November last year, plans for a long training camp were dashed by leadership changes and management woes in the Philippine National Volleyball Federation.
Team manager and assistant coach Karl Chan is pleased to see Megan Hernandez, Princess Manzano, Irish Mahinay, Taj Teves, Nadeth Herbon, and 14-year-olds Sharina Lleses and Jello Mauricio make their mark this early.
Head coach Edwin Leyva credited the players for adapting quickly, from coping with chilly 4-degree temperatures to learning on the fly against teams they have previously seen only on video.
The team, supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and Asics, went from tears to cheers as they pushed Venezuela hard a day after a heartbreaking four-set loss to No. 6 Peru.
Celis had 24 points from 22 attacks and two aces, while Xyz Rayco delivered 19 from 17 attacks, a block and an ace as the Philippines closed pool play with a 2-3 win-loss record.
Bulandres, a starter in the previous matches, proved effective off the bench as she came up with timely hits in the third and fourth sets, scoring eight on six attacks and two blocks.
