Alas boys keep AVC hopes alive

Alas Pilipinas overcame a second-set hiccup to frustrate Bahrain, 25-22, 13-25, 25-23, 25-14, for its first victory in the 2026 AVC Boys’ U18 Championship on Monday at the Wuyuan River Gymnasium in Haikou, China.

The Philippines and India, both with a 1-1 win-loss record in Pool B, will face off in a high-stakes match on Tuesday at 1 p.m., with the winner joining Iran (2-0) in the quarterfinals.

Only the top two teams from each of the four pools will advance to the next round.

“They showed heart in today’s match and I told the boys that we need this win for us to improve our chances (in making it to the next round),” Alas head coach Oliver Balse said.

“Next up is India and we want to give our all.”

With only a month and a half to prepare for the championship, Balse was glad to see his team's composure against Bahrain.

“What’s different in today’s match is that they showed more confidence compared to our first outing,” he said.

“I’m happy with how they performed. The team is more focused, and you can tell that they really want to win — especially on how they fought in the third set.”

The Philippines lost to Iran, 17-25, 20-25, 13-25, in its first assignment in the tournament last Saturday.

Alas was relentless in the third frame after breaking away from a 16-16 deadlock—the Filipinos took the lead behind a 6-4 rally with Terrence Marticion and Raphael Galapin vaulting for a 22-20 lead.

Bahrain committed back-to-back errors, allowing the Philippines to enjoy a set-point advantage at 24-20, but put up a scare with a 3-0 run behind Mohamed Haram for a 24-23 count.

Bahrain committed a net error, giving the Philippines the third-set, 25-23.

The Philippines refused to have a deciding set as Alas made a total domination in the fourth frame with a 25-14 victory.

“They were tested in the third set—that’s why I am happy that they responded well. I know that they’re young, but I am happy to see that maturity in them,” Balse said.

“In the fourth set, what I can say is that they minimized their errors, and I think that’s what I want to see: them playing meticulously.”

Marticion led Alas with16 points on 15 attacks and a block, while Galapin and Guerra added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

“I was motivated by yesterday’s loss. I know that my team is really capable, and I was really hungry to win in this match,” Marticion said.

“I know it will not be easy, but I really pushed myself to give my best so that our chances of making it to the next round improve.”