Alas Pilipinas sees bright future with young core after historic U17 stint

Xyz Rayco believes that Alas Pilipinas’ historic campaign in the FIVB Girls U17 World Championship is the start of something good for the country’s volleyball program.

“We’ve shown that even at a young age, we can compete at the international level,” Rayco said on the heels of a 25-13, 25-19, 25-16 loss to Japan in the classification round in Santiago, Chile, on Saturday (Manila time).

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“Hopefully, when we move up to the senior level, our progress will continue and won’t stop here. We want to carry the experience and lessons we’ve learned from this tournament so we’re better prepared for the future.”

The Philippines already secured its best finish by a national volleyball team in a World Championship after becoming the first Filipino volleyball squad to reach the round of 16, where they fell to Asian champion South Korea in straight sets.

For Rayco, the experience of competing against the world’s best at a young age could provide a major boost to the country’s volleyball program.

“I think this is really good for the future of Philippine volleyball,” the 16-year-old opposite hitter told the Inquirer in Filipino.

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Rayco, who led the country to the World Championship after a fifth-place finish in the AVC U16 Championship in Amman, Jordan, last year, relished the opportunity to go up against some of the world’s top youth programs.

“The level of play is really high,” she said. “Every game has been very challenging, and we’ve become more aware of how important discipline, communication and composure are, especially during close games and crucial points.”

Beyond the results, Rayco hopes this historic campaign becomes a foundation for the next generation of Philippine volleyball.

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“This experience has been very meaningful for us because we’ve learned so much from playing in the World Championship, especially how to handle pressure, stay calm and trust each other as a team,” she said. “Being able to play in a World Championship and make history at such a young age means a lot to us. We’re very grateful for this opportunity because it will help our careers and motivate us to keep improving.”

Alas Girls, who were led by Caera Celis’ game-high 16 points against Japan, will see more action in the classification round when they face Venezuela anew on Sunday.

The Philippines fell short of a comeback the first time both countries faced off, losing in in five sets, 25-19, 25-16, 22-25, 19-25, 15-11. However, the team’s fightback from two sets down allowed it to clinch a spot in the round of 16. INQ