SANTIAGO, Chile — Built on just days of preparation and modest financial support, Caera Celis, Xyz Rayco, Jhaynna Bulandres, Irish Mahinay, Khaira Manzano and the rest of Alas Pilipinas Girls reached uncharted territory at the FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship.
Supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and Asics, Alas Pilipinas entered the tournament ranked No. 25 and finished 15th, marking the Philippines’ best finish in any volleyball world championship.
The Alas Pilipinas Girls closed their campaign on a high note Sunday, overcoming an early challenge from Czechia to win, 21-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-22, at Parque Estadio Nacional.
The victory capped a historic run that included the Philippines’ first berth in the Round of 16 at the tournament.
Celis said every match provided a learning experience, but winning made the tournament even more memorable.
“We learned a lot from every game, even when we made mistakes,” Celis said. “But the victories were for sure the most fun we had here.”
Celis led the Philippines with 25 points against Czechia and averaged 18 points per match throughout the tournament. She tied for the third-highest total with 162 points and ranked fourth in total attack points with 141.
Rayni Merab Mondesi Arias of the Dominican Republic led both categories with 217 attack points and 235 total points.
Rayco recorded 38 successful receives, tied for ninth-best in the tournament, while averaging 9.33 points per match. Nadeth Herbon had 33 successful receives, tied for 14th. Chinese Taipei’s Ting-yi Chen led the tournament with 88.
Herbon also ranked 11th in digs with 95. She played outside hitter twice and took over as libero in the other matches. Peru’s Vannia Giordana Adrianzen Ocrospoma led the tournament with 166 digs.
Mahinay recorded 15 aces, tied for the sixth-highest total. Italy’s Beatrice Scalzotto led the category with 23.
While Filipinos back home celebrated the team for breaking new ground, the players kept their focus on the experience they shared rather than comparisons with previous national teams.
Madele Gale, Megan Hernandez, Sharina Rhyza Lleses, Nadeth Herbon and Resty Olaguir, along with Frances Ramos, Jello Mauricio, Jhenica Sadia and Taj Arkhea Teves, all played key roles in the historic campaign.
Alas Pilipinas reached the Round of 16 with a 2-3 record, highlighted by a four-set victory over world No. 8 Mexico and a sweep of No. 20 Tunisia.
The achievement surpassed the Philippines’ previous recent best at a world championship. The Alas Pilipinas men’s team featuring Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas came within a few points of reaching the Round of 16 before finishing 19th at last year’s FIVB Men’s World Championship.
The 1974 Philippine women’s team placed 18th at the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship in Mexico.
The United States won the gold medal after beating Turkiye, 25-23, 25-11, 25-23, in the championship match. PR
