Alas Pilipinas refused to let its quarterfinal hopes fade after bouncing back from its opening-day loss with a hard-earned victory over Bahrain in the 2026 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Boys’ U18 Championship on Monday at the Wuyuan River Gymnasium in Haikou, China.
Needing a response after falling to tournament favorite Iran a day earlier, the Filipinos overcame a second-set collapse before regaining control for a 25-22, 13-25, 25-23, 25-14 victory that kept them firmly in the race for one of Pool B’s two quarterfinal spots.
The win lifted the Philippines to a 1-1 record, matching India, with the two nations now headed for a pivotal showdown on Tuesday at 1 p.m. The winner will join unbeaten Iran (2-0) in advancing to the knockout stage.
Terrence Marticion spearheaded the Philippine attack with 16 points built on 15 attacks and one block, delivering when his team needed him most in a match that tested the squad’s composure.
For Marticion, the victory carried extra significance. The outside hitter was also part of the Alas Pilipinas team that finished 11th in the previous edition of the tournament held in Bahrain in 2024, making Monday’s result another step forward for the program.
“First of all, I am really thankful that we got our first win, and we will do better in our next game,” Marticion said.
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PANALO!
Alas Pilipinas earned its first victory of the AVC Boys’ U18 Volleyball Championship, defeating
Bahrain in four sets: 25-22, 12-25, 25-20, 25-15.
With the win, the Philippines improves to 1–1 in the standings, keeping its hopes of advancing alive.
Meanwhile,… pic.twitter.com/2WUwmiewcD
— Volleytrails (@volleytrails) July 13, 2026
He also revealed that the team’s straight-set defeat to Iran on Sunday became the driving force behind their performance against Bahrain.
“This time I am so eager to fight. Last time, we lost, and we are inspiring ourselves to be better and use that loss as an inspiration. I know that we’re underdogs, but we will keep putting up the fight,” the Batang Pinoy 2025 national champion in beach volleyball said.
Head coach Oliver Balse credited his players for responding with determination in a must-win situation.
“They showed heart in today’s match and I told the boys that we need this win for us to improve our chances. Next up is India and we want to give our all,” the national team coach said.
Bahrain drew strong performances from Haram, who finished with 18 points, while Nasralla Haram added 16 markers in the losing effort. Bahrain dropped to 0-2 and will conclude its Pool B campaign against unbeaten Iran on Tuesday.
With only the top two teams from each of the tournament’s four pools advancing to the quarterfinals, Tuesday’s Philippines-India encounter has effectively become a knockout match for both squads.
Elsewhere in the championship, Korea improved to 2-0 to lead its group, while Japan opened its campaign with a 1-0 record. Saudi Arabia slipped to 0-2, and Australia stood at 0-1.
In Pool A, host China improved to 1-0, while Chinese Taipei held a 0-2 mark. Hong Kong and Indonesia were tied at 0-1.
Pakistan strengthened its bid in Pool C by improving to a perfect 2-0 record. Thailand, carrying a 1-0 slate, was set to face Kyrgyzstan (0-1), while Kazakhstan remained winless at 0-2.
For Alas Pilipinas, however, the focus now shifts to the biggest match of its campaign so far—a winner-take-most battle against India that will determine whether the team’s journey in Haikou continues into the quarterfinals.
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