For flag, country and their ‘ates,’ U16 girls show how it’s done
AMMAN, Jordan—A group of first-time athletes from various provincial high schools proved their mettle on the international stage, advancing to the Final Eight of the 2nd Asian Volleyball Confederation Women’s U16 Championship.
Iran has long been a thorn in the side of Philippine volleyball.
Just last September, the Alas Pilipinas men’s team suffered a heartbreaking five-set loss to Iran in the FIVB Men’s World Championship. A potential game-winning block by Kim Malabunga was challenged and ruled a net touch, swinging the momentum to the Iranians and handing the hosts one of their most painful defeats in recent memory.
A week ago, the U18 girls’ squad also fell to Iran in the Asian Youth Games semifinals in Bahrain. Iran went on to capture the gold.
This time, however, it was the youngest Philippine team that flipped the script.
The Alas Pilipinas U16 women stunned Iran with a commanding 25-21, 25-22, 25-22 sweep on Sunday at Princess Sumaya Hall, securing a spot in the top eight of the tournament.
Coming off a tough four-set loss to defending champion Japan, team captain Xyz Rayco rallied the squad with a vow to win one for their “ates” on the U18 team, which had settled for fourth in Bahrain. Rayco backed it up with 13 points, closing out the win with clutch attacks in the final two sets.
“I’m so happy because it was such a tough loss for our U18 team,” said the 14-year-old Rayco, who finished with nine kills, three blocks and an ace. “This is already national team-level competition. We all come from different schools, so to get a win like this means so much to us.”
Dedicated to OFWs
Setter Resty Jane Olaguir, who impressed even Japan’s coach during their opener, continued her steady play and dedicated the win to the Asian Youth Games squad, overseas Filipino workers who cheered them on, and fans back home.
“We’re thankful to all the Filipino supporters, our coaches, and most especially to God,” Olaguir said. “We just gave our best. We wanted to make up for our U18 team, and now we’ll do everything we can to reach the next round.”
The championship’s unique quarterfinal format divides the Final Eight into two groups. Alas joins Pool F alongside unbeaten Japan and Chinese Taipei, both of whom carry over wins against Thailand and the Philippines, respectively.
With 0-1 records, Alas and Thailand open their quarterfinal bids from behind. The young Filipinas face Chinese Taipei on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. (Manila time), then Thailand on Thursday at 4 p.m. at Prince Hamzah Sports Hall.
Only the top two teams from Pool F and Pool E—which includes China (1-0), Hong Kong (1-0), Korea (0-1) and Uzbekistan (0-1)—advance to the semifinals.
Despite being outsized by most of their opponents, Olaguir, the playmaker from Gracel Christian College Foundation in Taguig, said they’ll rely on skill and heart.
“We’ll give our best and prove that even if we’re small, we can still play with great skill and heart,” she said.
Coach Edwin Leyva reminded his team to stay confident as the stakes rise.
“The other teams are really good, but they’re definitely beatable,” Leyva said. “We just have to come up with the right game plan and strategies to outsmart their style of play.”
