Jayrack de la Noche and Alexander Iraya fell to the Thailand 3 team of Narakorn Chumaphai and Nopphawit Puttarong, 18-21, 10-21, to drop out of the quarterfinals of the 4th Asian U21 Beach Volleyball Championships in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand on Wednesday afternoon.
Despite the loss, the Filipinos can come home with their heads held high as reaching the quarterfinals was a feat that no other Philippine team has done before. Seeded no. 7 in the competition, the Filipino duo smashed the second-seeded Australia 1 squad of Connor O’Neill and Ruben Gale, 15-21, 21-14, 15-10 in the morning to reach the quarterfinals.
“We’ll do our best to even do better here,” said De la Noche.
Iraya scored the match-winning kill for the Philippine side which came back from a first-set loss in the knockout contest against Australia.
“I am proud of these boys and all I can say at this very moment is I am goose-bumped all over,” said Carmela “Melay” Gamboa, PNVF director and events commission chair who also dabbled as the boys’ coach in the Thailand tourney. (JNP)