HAIKOU, China — Alas Pilipinas absorbed a straight-set defeat to a towering Iran squad, 25-17, 25-20, 25-13, to open its campaign in the 2026 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Boys’ U18 Volleyball Championship on Sunday at the Wuyuan River Gymnasium.
Despite the loss, head coach Oliver Balse remained optimistic, describing the opener as a valuable learning experience for the young national team.
“I thought we could fight until the end in the second set since we reached 19-all, but then we fell short. I assess that we still really lacked defense,” Balse said.
“I am still not satisfied. I know that we can show more, and we are still grasping the game. Everyone is here for the first time. We all saw how we fought today, and I think we can do more than that,” he added.
Elijah Marticion paced the Philippines with eight points, while Galapin and Ar-Raquib Dais chipped in five markers apiece.
Iran drew 16 points from Nima Piri to secure the opening-day victory.
Alas Pilipinas looks to bounce back against Bahrain on Monday at 1 p.m.
“It is still the same. We will continue working, and we will prepare. The skills are there, and we will continue working hard,” Balse said.
