Santiago: The Philippines ended its campaign in the FIVB Volleyball Girls' U17 World Championship on a high note Sunday, defeating Czechia with scores of 21-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-22 at the Parque Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile. The Alas Pilipinas Girls' team, featuring standout players such as Caera Celis, Xyz Rayco, Jhaynna Bulandres, Irish Mahinay, and Khaira Manzano, achieved a historic 15th place finish, marking the country's best performance in any volleyball world championship to date.

According to Philippines News Agency, this achievement surpasses previous records set by the Philippines, which ranked 19th at the 2025 FIVB Men's World Championship and 18th at the 1974 FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship in Mexico. Caera Celis, one of the key players, expressed that while every moment of the tournament was memorable, the victories were particularly rewarding. Celis, who scored 25 points against Czechia, averaged 18 points per game throughout the tournament. She matched the tournament's third-highest total score of 162 and was fourth in total attack points with 141.

Xyz Rayco contributed significantly by matching the ninth-best total for successful receives at 38, while maintaining an average of 9.33 points per game. Nadeth Herbon, who played as an outside hitter and libero, achieved the 14th-best total for successful receives with 33. Herbon also ranked 11th in the digs department with 95, while Irish Mahinay recorded 15 aces, matching the sixth-highest total in the tournament.

The Alas Pilipinas Girls, which also include Madele Gale, Megan Hernandez, Sharina Rhyza Lleses, Resty Olaguir, Frances Ramos, Jello Mauricio, Jhenica Sadia, and Taj Arkhea Teves, advanced to the Round of 16 with a 2-3 record. They achieved victories over world No. 8 Mexico and No. 20 Tunisia. Ultimately, the USA claimed the gold medal, defeating Turkiye in the final with scores of 25-23, 25-11, 25-23.