Alas Pilipinas Boys came within a set of reaching the quarterfinals of the AVC Boys’ U18 Volleyball Championship but suffered a heartbreaking reverse-sweep loss to India, 25-16, 25-20, 20-25, 23-25, 4-15, on Tuesday at the Wuyuan River Gymnasium in Haikou, China.

The defeat dropped the Philippines to third place in Pool B with a 1-2 record, its lone victory coming against winless Bahrain (0-3).

The Filipinos appeared headed for a historic breakthrough after dominating the first two sets behind the efforts of Terrence Marticion, Allan-Rey Dais, Terrence Gamotea, and John Daniel Dela Cruz.

India, however, regrouped in the third and fourth sets, making adjustments against the offense orchestrated by Alas captain Howard Guerra to force a deciding fifth set.

In an attempt to catch India off guard, the Philippines moved Jeffe Gallego to setter while shifting Guerra to the open hitter position for the final frame. The gamble, however, failed to pay off as India seized control behind team captain Sourabh Kashma, Adarsh Singh, and Deepak Deepak, racing to an 8-2 advantage.

Gamotea briefly stopped the run with a block on Kashma, but India responded with four straight points to extend its lead to 12-3.

Guerra ended the drought with a crosscourt attack, but a costly Philippine net error put India at match point before Kashma sealed the victory with back-to-back service aces.

“We were so close; we were already there, but we fell short. We did not hold on until the end. There are situations where we could take the set and win, but maybe this match is not for us,” said head coach Oliver Balse.

“I am still happy with how they performed because I can really see the skills, but maturity is something we really need to work on,” he added.

Marticion led Alas Pilipinas with 16 points built on 14 attacks and two aces, while Dais and Galapin added 14 points each. Gamotea and Dela Cruz chipped in nine markers apiece.

“We are thankful because we gave our best. No one was injured, and we will do our best in the classification round,” said Marticion.

“We will keep our heads up high. This is a hard lesson for us, but it also inspires us to become better players when we return to our leagues in the Philippines,” he added.

Kashma erupted for 31 points to power India, while Deepak contributed 16.

Despite missing out on the knockout stage, Alas Pilipinas will continue its campaign in the classification round, with its next opponent to be determined after the conclusion of Tuesday’s remaining pool matches.

The Philippines opened its campaign with a 17-25, 20-25, 13-25 loss to Iran before bouncing back with a 25-22, 13-25, 25-23, 25-14 victory over Bahrain on Monday.

Iran finished atop Pool B with a perfect 3-0 record, while India improved to 2-1 as both teams advanced to the quarterfinals. Bahrain ended the pool phase winless at 0-3.

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Alas Pilipinas beach volleyball stars Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons are set to receive the Fans’ Choice Beach Volleyball Award at the inaugural Asian Volleyball Confederation Gala after topping the public vote.

Rondina and Pons amassed 43,905 public votes to secure the honor, which will be presented by the City of Candon through Mayor Eric Singson during the AVC Gala on August 8 in Bangkok.

The inaugural event will celebrate the outstanding performances that defined Asian volleyball throughout the 2025 season.

“The AVC Gala was created to celebrate Asian volleyball excellence and to honor the individuals whose talent, dedication, and achievements continue to inspire millions throughout our continent,” said AVC President Ramon “Tats” Suzara.

“The nearly 400,000 votes cast by fans demonstrate the incredible passion that exists for volleyball across Asia, and we are proud to establish a new tradition that recognizes the very best of our sport.”

Suzara welcomed the successful launch of the inaugural AVC Gala, emphasizing the significance of recognizing excellence through a combination of expert evaluation and fan support.

Photo from Volleyball World

“We are excited to welcome our winners to the 1st AVC Gala Awards Night this August in Bangkok, where Asia’s volleyball family will come together to celebrate their remarkable achievements and the continued growth of our sport,” Suzara said.

“Volleyball has always been a sport driven by its community, and our fans remain at the heart of its continued success. By combining the expertise of the AVC Committee with the voices of our supporters, the AVC Gala not only recognizes excellence but also celebrates the strong bond between our athletes and the fans who inspire them every step of the way.”

Among the night’s top honorees are Japanese siblings Yuki Ishikawa and Mayu Ishikawa. Yuki will receive the Outstanding Men’s Volleyball Player award, while Mayu will be recognized as the Outstanding Women’s Volleyball Player.

In beach volleyball, Qatar’s accomplished tandem of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan will be honored as the Outstanding Men’s Beach Volleyball Players, presented by Neocolors, following another stellar season on the international stage.

Japan’s Asami Shiba and Reika Murakami will receive the Outstanding Women’s Beach Volleyball Players award, presented by Rebisco, in recognition of their outstanding performances throughout the 2025 season.

Ferhat Akbaş is set to receive the Volleyball Coach of the Year award after guiding Japan’s women’s national team to another successful campaign. Meanwhile, Yuliya Akulova of Kazakhstan and Wang Lijun of China will be recognized as Volleyball Referee of the Year and Beach Volleyball Referee of the Year, respectively.

The Outstanding Player, Coach of the Year, and Referee of the Year awardees were selected through a voting system composed of 70-percent AVC Committee votes and 30-percent public votes, combining expert evaluation with fan participation.

Chinese superstar Zhu Ting topped the public voting with 42,996 votes to claim the Fans’ Choice Volleyball Award.

The inaugural AVC Gala will also honor Jizhong Wei with the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his decades of leadership and lasting contributions to the growth of volleyball in Asia and beyond.

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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.

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