FIFTEENTH PLACE.
That is the new standard for other Philippine volleyball teams to eclipse in the future on the global stage.
It was registered by the heroic Alas girls that stunned the Czechs, 21-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-22, on Sunday at the Parque Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile and capped what had been a historic campaign in the FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship.
Call it destiny.
These extraordinary group of brave souls, headed by Caera Celis, Xyz Rayco, Jhaynna Bulandres, Irish Mahinay, Khaira Manzano, collided with the best the planet can offer despite being seeded second to the last in the second edition of this biennial meet that drew 26 nations.
And the Filipinas defied the odds despite getting just a week of preparation.
But while the Nationals would have wanted a better finish, it was comforting that they ended their campaign what everybody had wanted — with a victory.
“We learned a lot from every game, even when we made mistakes,” said Ms. Celis, who dropped a 25-hit masterpiece against Czechia and finished with a team-high average of 18 points an outing and a total score of 162 points, the third highest in the tournament.
“But the victories were for sure the most fun we had here,” she added.
The performance surpassed the 19th place finish by the Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo-led Nationals in last year’s FIVB Men’s World Championship back home in Manila and the 18th place effort in the 1974 Women’s World Championship in Mexico.
The team — also composed of Nadeth Herbon, Madele Gale, Megan Hernandez, Sharina Rhyza Lleses, Resty Olaguir, Frances Ramos, Jello Mauricio, Jhenica Sadia and Taj Arkhea Teves — left home as dreamers and would go home as heroines. — Joey Villar