Alas Pilipinas girls face crucial test vs Peru in U17 worlds

Alas Pilipinas girls’ Caera Celis.–CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Alas Pilipinas girls chase a place in the next tier of the FIVB Volleyball Girls U17 World Championship, looking to turn their first appearance on the global stage into something more than just participation.

With two huge wins under their belt and two pool matches still to play, the Philippines has a foot in the round of 16 and will try to cement its place against World No. 6 Peru on Tuesday (Manila time) at Liceo Particular Mixto San Felipe.

The Philippines, the lowest-ranked team in Pool B at No. 25, has already shaken up the order with a 2-1 win-loss record, sitting second behind top-ranked China after historic victories over No. 8 Mexico and No. 20 Tunisia. The top four from the six-team pools advance to the Round of 16, and a straight-sets victory by the Philippines will not only seal passage into the next round but put the Alas girls in a potential top two finish in the group.

READ: Alas Pilipinas squads continue history-making ways

Team manager and assistant coach Karl Chan said what Alas Pilipinas Girls have done to this point is commendable, but the next stage is within reach and they need to seize the moment.

“The players understand what is at stake right now, what they need to do, and what our goals are,” Chan said.

“We’re not done yet. The next step is to make the Round of 16. We can’t get complacent just because we beat two top teams. We still have two more top teams to beat, so we have to keep the same focus.”

Mental performance coach Wynnette Bernardo said the players have shown little regard for the rankings, focusing instead on what they need to do.

“They’re really just focused on winning. They’re not thinking, ‘Oh this is a top 8 team’ or anything like that,” Bernardo said.

“Take Caera Celis, for example, she has this ‘I don’t care mindset’. It’s really ‘I’m just going to play my game.’”

READ: Alas girls sweep Tunisia, boost chances of advancing in U17 worlds

Celis has consistently led the team in scoring, while Xyz Rayco has slowly rediscovered her killer form and re-emerged as one of the go-to scorers in the clutch. Princess Khaira Manzano, Madele Gale and Sharina Lleses have also proven to be valuable contributors.

Alas Pilipinas winds up its pool play assignment with a match against world No. 12 Venezuela.

World No. 6 Peru is running third with five points from two wins in three matches, while Venezuela has a 1-2 record and sits in fourth at the tournament break. Mexico is in fifth, followed by Tunisia.

Assistant coach Oliver Balse expects the players’ level to rise, and he was bold enough to say he sees straight-sets wins coming.

“It’s going to get better from here. They’ve gotten acclimatized, they’ve gained confidence as well. We just need to maintain their focus and keep motivating them to do more.”