Xyz Rayco showed what she’s capable of as the leader of the Alas Pilipinas girls’ team in the 2nd AVC Asian Women’s U16 Volleyball Championship.
Rayco, bannering a squad composed of players from different provinces, took matters into her own hands in the clutch moments of the second and third sets, finishing with 13 points in their 25-21, 25-22, 25-22 sweep of Iran to advance to the quarterfinal early Monday (Manila time) at Princess Sumaya Hall here. When the Philippines needed a closer, the 14-year-old spiker stepped up and denied the late runs of Iran in the last two sets.
‘I just kept telling myself to fight and be brave because I knew the ball would eventually come to me. Even when I struggled in the first set, I told myself I’d bounce back,’ Rayco told the Inquirer in Filipino. ‘And in the end, I gave it everything I had.’
For Rayco, it was challenging at first to keep a team together with players coming from Manila, Leyte, Batangas, Talisay, Bukidnon, and Negros Occidental.
But having one goal in fighting for flag and country, all of them were able to form a strong connection despite the short preparation.
‘This is such a big achievement for all of us because we’re already part of the national team. We all came from different schools, and to win a match we didn’t expect meant a lot to us,’ said the Saint Michael College of Caraga stalwart from Nasipit, Agusan Del Norte.
Alas dedicated the win to the Overseas Filipino Workers watching their games live, and their families and fans back home. The stunning victory also served as payback after the Alas U18 squad lost to Iran in the semifinals in the Asian Youth Games recently.
Now that they are in the quarterfinals, Rayco is determined to reach greater heights with her fellow first-timers on the international stage.
‘You can expect us to improve. We’ll correct the mistakes we made in this game and play even better in the next one,’ she said.