Alas Pilipinas U16 pushed powerhouse Thailand to five sets before falling short at the 2025 AVC Asian Women’s U16 Championship.
Alas Pilipinas U16 once again proved they belong among Asia’s rising programs after dragging powerhouse Thailand towards a full-length battle before absorbing a tough five-set loss, 25-23, 15-25, 25-23, 23-25, 8-15, in the 2nd AVC Asian Women’s U16 Championship at the Prince Hamzah Sports Hall in Jordan.
The young Filipinas showed poise and fire for most of the match, even controlling the decisive fifth set early.
A sharp down-the-line hit from Kim Peralta gave Alas a 6-4 lead and momentarily tipped the momentum to the Philippines. But Thailand responded with a counterpunch befitting a regional powerhouse.
Chayanut Inthanoo and Umarin Kaewkalong fueled a stunning 7-0 run that flipped the frame to an 11–6 Thai advantage, putting Alas on the defensive the rest of the way. Two clutch kills from Phitchayada Kunrat set up match point before Paphanan Phimphakhan sealed the result with a block on Nadeth Herbon.
Despite the loss, Xyz Rayco delivered one of the finest individual performances of the tournament with 25 points built on 19 attacks, five blocks, and an ace.
The Philippines slipped to fourth in Pool F but remains in contention for its best-ever finish at fifth place.
“I felt like we were starting to give up on ourselves,” said Rayco. “The other team was gaining momentum while we were getting down. We need to make adjustments so we can reach the top 5.”
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Alas was just a few points away from winning the match in four sets. Down 14-21, the Filipinas mounted a furious rally behind Rayco and tied the set at 22-all. But untimely errors allowed Thailand to escape and force a deciding frame.
Head coach Edwin Leyva said fatigue and an injury disrupted their rhythm late.
“We fought hard to catch up, but the players were already tired and one of our players got injured,” Leyva said. “We’ll practice later to simulate the movements of our next opponents and hopefully execute better tomorrow.”
Madele Gale anchored the net with an impressive seven blocks en route to 12 points, while Herbon and Jhenica Sadia added 12 and seven markers, respectively.
“We’ll keep fighting as long as we can, and we’ll go for the best finish possible,” said Gale.
Thailand clinched the No. 3 spot in Pool F and likewise moves to the 5th–8th classification round. Their top scorer Umarin, who dropped 23 points, praised the Filipinas afterward.
“It’s like the Philippines and Thailand play at the same level, so it was kind of difficult,” she said through a translator.
Kunrat and Natacha Thongkham added 13 and 15 markers for the Thais, while Chamikon Cankawe chipped in 11.
Alas U16 returns to action on Friday at 11 a.m. (Philippine time) for a shot at the fifth-place match.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.