By ADRIAN STEWART CO
Negrense middle blocker Madele Gale stood tall when it mattered most as the young Alas Pilipinas girls squad clinched a historic berth to the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship, following a 25-23, 25-20, 19-25, 25-22 victory over Thailand for fifth place in the 2nd AVC Asian Women’s U16 Volleyball Championship at the Prince Hamzah Sports Hall in Jordan on Saturday, November 8.
Gale anchored the Filipinas’ front line with 11 points, including five blocks, setting the tone for a resilient defensive stand that helped the team secure its best-ever international finish and its first-ever World Championship appearance.
Team captain Xyz Rayco provided the offensive firepower, exploding for 30 points built on 25 kills, four blocks and an ace — a performance that capped her impressive international debut and led the Philippines’ charge to a podium-level achievement.
The Philippines clinched the final Asian slot as China had already qualified as the defending world champion prior to reaching the Final 4. Other Asian qualifiers include Korea, Chinese Taipei and Japan.
“That’s really the icing on the cake,” Alas U16 coach Edwin Leyva said.
“We only had two weeks to prepare and, at first, we were just a ragtag team. But we took it one set at a time, and now our dream [has come] true,” he added.
After yielding the third set, Alas Pilipinas recovered in the fourth, staving off a late Thai rally. With the score tied at 19-all, Rayco once again delivered in the clutch, scoring the last three points to seal the win and secure the world championship ticket.
“I’m inspired because I’m still young, but I’ve already come this far, and I know there’s still a higher level waiting for me,” Rayco said.
Nadeth Herbon supported the attack with 16 points, complementing Gale’s defensive effort.
The win also served as sweet redemption after the Philippines squandered a 2-1 lead and lost to Thailand in five sets during the Final 8 earlier in the tournament.
“In the third set, we started to feel down, but in the fourth, we didn’t let it happen again because we didn’t want a repeat of our last game,” Rayco said.
Despite limited preparation, the young Filipinas left a strong impression in their international debut — taking a set from defending champion Japan, defeating Iran to reach the Final 8, and sweeping Hong Kong to earn a spot in the fifth-place match.
Thailand settled for sixth place, with Natacha Thongkham scoring 18 points and Chamikon Cankawe adding 13./ASC, WDJ