Alas Pilipinas Girls Target Round of 16 Berth at FIVB Volleyball Girls' U17 World Championship
Key Takeaways
- •Alas Pilipinas Girls hold second place in Pool B at the U17 World Championship with two wins and one loss to defending champions China.
- •The youth team requires at least one win across matches against Peru and Venezuela to formally secure a knockout-round spot.
- •The national women's team climbed 12 spots to world No. 53 after claiming their best-ever SEA V Cup result with a silver medal in Thailand.
- •Frank Lao of Strong Group Athletics was elected PNVF president, with the Philippine Olympic Committee returning full operational control of volleyball to the federation.
Alas Pilipinas Girls, the Philippine national youth volleyball team, are bidding to reach the Round of 16 at the FIVB Volleyball Girls' U17 World Championship, currently underway in San Felipe, Chile. For the Philippines, a knockout-round berth at a world championship would extend what has already been a promising stretch for the country's national teams across multiple levels.
The squad has already achieved several milestones in the tournament. Victories over Mexico and Tunisia in their opening three Pool B matches propelled the Filipinas into second place in the group standings. Their lone loss came at the hands of China, the defending champions, who hold an unblemished 3-0 record.
To formally secure a spot in the knockout round, the Nationals need at least one more win across their two remaining group-stage fixtures. One of those matches, against Peru, was in progress at the time of reporting, while the other is scheduled for Tuesday against Venezuela.
In parallel developments for Philippine volleyball, the national women's team — known as the Alas Women — climbed 12 places in the world rankings, moving from No. 65 to No. 53. The jump followed their silver-medal finish at the SEA V Cup Leg 2 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, last Sunday, which marked the country's best-ever result in the annual competition. The Alas Women posted a 2-1 record in Chiang Mai, with wins over Vietnam and Indonesia, both established programs in the Southeast Asian volleyball landscape.
PNVF Elections
The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) held its elections on Monday at the Solaire, electing Frank Lao of Strong Group Athletics as its new president.
Donn Kapunan was elected vice-president and Rommel Ng as treasurer. The board of directors includes former PNVF president Ramon Suzara, Sienna Olaso, Francis Chad Salimbangon, Carmela Gamboa, Rustico Camangian, Mohamad Bernan Jr., and Jonas Cabochan.
Don Caringal was appointed secretary-general. Two additional board seats remain reserved for male and female athlete representatives.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham N. Tolentino announced that the POC has relinquished its caretaker role over the national volleyball team and returned oversight to the PNVF, restoring the federation to full operational control of the sport.
— Report by Joey Villar
