For the Alas Pilipinas Girls, the biggest takeaway from the historic run in the FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship can’t be found in the rankings.
Over two grueling weeks, the Alas Girls discovered things about themselves, each other and what it means to compete for the Philippines on the world stage.
As Alas Pilipinas Girls endured the pressure of the world championship, Resty Olaguir realized her teammates were true fighters, and she had to be one, too.
‘I discovered that I’m more focused than I thought I was. I used to lose focus easily in tight situations, especially in big matches,’ Olaguir said. ‘But I saw my teammates and how competitive they were. That’s when I realized I also had to step up.’
Madele Gale echoed the sentiment, praising her teammates for their fighting spirit.
‘No matter how difficult things were, we kept on fighting. We had to go up against players who were taller and stronger, and we learned a lot from those matches,’ she said.
For Xyz Rayco and Princess Khaira Manzano, the experience was tough but worth it, and both said they’d do it all over again.
‘I’m happy because even with all the challenges the Lord has given us, it was all worth it,’ Rayco said. ‘Making it to the last 16 is already such a huge achievement for us. And even though we faced so many challenges along the way, we still fought through and gave our all.’
‘I’d do it all again for flag and country,’ she added.
The grueling run was a rollercoaster of joyous wins and heartbreaking losses, all unfolding halfway around the world and thousands of miles from home. Still Manzano said she’d do it again if it meant pushing the Philippines further up the table.
‘Just being here in the top 15 is already a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me,’ Manzano said. ‘So it would be better if I could help move the country up the top five. I’m willing to work hard for the team all over again.’
Celis noted that while every moment of the tournament was special, nothing beats the feeling of winning. ‘We learned a lot from every game, even when we made mistakes,’ Celis said. ‘The bus rides were cool, and we really enjoyed spending time together at the dining hall. We got to bond, and it helped build our team chemistry.’
‘But the victories were for sure the most fun we had here,’ she said.
Meanwhile, Jello Mauricio, one of the youngest in the group at 14, believes aspiring national team members need to have the right mindset to make it to the international stage.
‘If you want to make it to the national team, you have to learn not to worry about what other people say and not let yourself be influenced by them. Yo have to stay strong.
‘To make it to the international stage, yo have to be strong-minded. Don’t worry about what other people say, and don’t let them influence you. Most importantly, don’t let yourself get discouraged.’
Finishing with a flourish
Built on just days of preparation and modest financial support, Alas Pilipinas featuring Jhaynna Bulandres and Irish Mahinay, reached uncharted territory.
In Chile, Alas Pilipinas showed the talent and resolve to compete among the best, entering the tournament ranked no. 25 and finishing in 15th spot.
The Alas Pilipinas Girls closed the tournament on a high, shaking off early troubles to defeat Czechia, 21-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-22, on Sunday at Parque Estadio Nacional.
The victory capped a campaign that included a historic berth in the Round of 16 and gave the Philippines its best finish in any volleyball world championship.
Celis noted that while every moment of the tournament was special, nothing beats the feeling of winning.
‘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, who scored 25 against Czechia, had a tournament average of 18 points per match. She matched the tournament’s third-highest total score of 162 and was fourth in total attack points at 141.
Rayni Merab Mondesi Arias of the Dominican Republic topped both departments with 217 attack points and 235 total.
Rayco, meanwhile, matched the ninth-best total in the tournament for successful receives at 38, while averaging 9.33 points. Nadeth Herbon matched the 14th-best total at 33. Chinese Taipei’s Ting-yi Chen had the highest total of 88.
Herbon, who played outside hitter twice while taking the role of libero in the other matches, was also 11th in the digs department with 95. Peru’s libero Vannia Giordana Adrianzen Ocrospoma led the field with 166.
Mahinay had 15 aces to match the sixth-highest total. Italy’s Beatrice Scalzotto topped the list with 23.
While they are being celebrated back home for breaking new ground, the team that also features Madele Gale, Megan Hernandez, Sharina Rhyza Lleses, Nadeth Herbon and Resty Olaguir were quick to keep the focus on the experience they shared rather than comparisons with previous national teams.
The Alas Pilipinas team featuring Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas came within a couple of 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 in the 1974 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship in Mexico.
Frances Ramos, Jello Mauricio, Jhenica Sadia and Taj Arkhea Teves also played key roles as Alas Pilipinas, supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, and Asics, made it to the Round of 16 with a 2-3 record, beating world No. 8 Mexico in four sets and sweeping past No. 20 Tunisia.
The USA won the gold medal match against Turkiye, 25-23, 25-11, 25-23.