Alas Pilipinas opened its campaign in the 2026 Asian Volleyball Confederation Girls’ U18 Championship with a four-set victory over Iran, 25-19, 19-25, 25-23, 25-18, on Wednesday at Terminal 21 Hall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Xyz Rayco led the Philippines with 19 points built on 14 attacks, three blocks, and two aces. Meanwhile, Ella Gonzalvo added 15 points on 12 attacks, one block, and two aces as the Filipinas secured the one-hour, 50-minute victory to take the early lead in Pool C.
Jhaynna Bulandres and Adelaine Agustin chipped in nine points apiece for the Philippine squad, which also captured the bronze medal in the Princess Cup earlier this year.
Iran, on the other hand, got 15 points each from Sana Naghipour and Setayesh Nasr Esfahani in the losing effort.
Head coach Karl Dimaculangan welcomed the win, particularly against an Iranian squad that had defeated the Philippines in the semifinals of the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain.
“We had expected Iran to play well. They beat us in the semifinal at the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain,” said Dimaculangan, who is assisted by Keenan Quitco and Marco Ely Maclang.
Despite the victory, the Filipino tactician emphasized that his team still has room for improvement heading into its next two Pool C matches.
“We need to be more focused on the game and be more aggressive, especially on the floor,” he said.
The Philippines — sent to the tournament by the Philippine Olympic Committee with support from the Philippine Sports Commission, Boysen, and Monolith — will face unbeaten Japan at 10:00 AM on Thursday. The team then wraps up the preliminary round against Indonesia at 4:00 PM on Friday.
The top four teams in the tournament will qualify for the 2027 FIVB Girls’ U19 World Championship, with the host nation yet to be announced.
