Alas Pilipinas Girls secured their first victory in the 15th Asian Women’s U18 Volleyball Championship, defeating India, 26-24, 15-25, 25-19, 25-22 in the 9th to 13th classification round on Thursday evening at the Ratchaburi Gymnasium in Thailand,
The dynamic trio of wing spikers Denesse Daylisan, Jaila Adrao, and Akeyla Bartolabac spearheaded the Philippines' triumph over India, who, like the Nationals, had gone winless in their group matches against Chinese Taipei, Australia, and South Korea.
Daylisan was a powerhouse, racking up 22 points with 20 attacks and two service aces. Adrao bolstered the team with 14 points, including 12 spikes, a block, and an ace. Bartolabac added 12 points to the tally, while Avrril Bron chipped in with 10 points and a game-high three blocks.
Despite India dominating the second set with a 10-point margin, the Akari-backed Alas regrouped with a vengeance. They started the third set on fire, leading 9-3 and maintaining their momentum, thanks to stellar performances by Daylisan, middle blocker Bron, and Lianne Penuliar, eventually closing the set at 25-19 and taking a 2-1 lead.
In a tightly contested fourth set, the Philippines demonstrated their resilience, staying close behind India before pulling ahead. Trailing 19-17, Penuliar, Adrao, Bron, and Daylisan rallied for an impressive 8-3 run, sealing the historic win for Alas.
A pivotal moment came when Nationals head coach Taka Minowa made a crucial decision to challenge a block touch call after Isha Bose’s attack was deemed a check ball. The review overturned the decision, confirming no Filipino had touched the ball, a key moment in their victory.
Despite committing seven more errors than their opponents, the Philippines excelled in the spiking and service departments, leading 60-52 in spikes and 8-3 in aces.
Looking ahead, Alas Pilipinas will compete for ninth place on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. (Manila time) against the winner of the Hong Kong-Australia match.
India's middle blocker Mahak Singh led her team with 14 points, including 11 attacks and three blocks, while team captain Prathiba Ganesan added 13 points.
The Philippines had struggled in pool play, suffering losses to Iran (20-25, 19-25, 20-25) and Japan (5-25, 16-25, 14-25), leading them to the classification round.
However, this victory marks a turning point as they aim for a strong finish in the tournament.
Photo from AVC
