Alas Pilipinas out-battled South Korea in a marathon five-setter to open their Asian Youth Games opener in Bahrain.
Alas Pilipinas U18 emerged victorious in a five-set battle against South Korea to open their campaign in the Asian Youth Games, winning in their Pool D match, 25-21, 19-25, 25-22, 22-25, 15-10, at the Isa Sports City Hall B at Riffa, Bahrain, on Sunday, local time.
Alas, led by Rhose Almendralejo and NU transferee Sam Cantada, drubbed their rivals in a match that lasted two hours and 19 minutes.
Despite committing more errors than their foes, Alas U18 relied heavily on their attacking — scoring 78 points on spikes. They were also highly productive, registering 48% in efficiency, going 78-of-163 in the five-set battle.
Almendralejo fired 34 attack points on 33 percent efficiency while they fired off three service aces as well.
Meanwhile, Cantada had 27 built off of 24 attacks, two blocks, and one ace.
Harlyn Serneche also added 22 points — including three aces. The trio did the heavy lifting in scoring, with only one more Alas player finishing in double digit scoring.
Alas takes on Thailand on Tuesday afternoon in Riffa to hopefully seal their place in the quarterfinals.
Both Alas and Thailand are at 1-0 while Korea is already out of contention after playing their two matches with no wins.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.