Aussies rip RP side in Asian Youth opener

Australia played just good enough to scuttle an erratic Philippine side, 25-21, 25-17, 25-14, and serve notice of its bid in the Asian Youth Girls Championship which got underway yesterday at the Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Complex.

Save for a shaky first round showing, the Aussies had little trouble in subduing a raw local squad, formed only six weeks ago but given a tough task to come up with a creditable performance in a tournament of this magnitude.

"Hindi sanay sa mahigpit na laban, international na ’to eh, kaya bumaba ang intensity pagkatapos ng first set (They are not used to this kind of competition and their inexperience showed when they lost the intensity after the first set)," said RP team coach Sammy Acaylar said of his wards culled from various schools just a month and a half ago.

In contrast, the Aussies came into the event, serving as the qualifier for the Under-18 World Championships slated July 23-31 in Macau, China, oozing with confidence after playing as a team for over two years although they had to shrug off a wobbly start to seize control and dominate the match.

With skipper Bangladesh Pantaleon on the firing end, the Filipinas found themselves on top, 9-6, only to reel back in the face of the Aussies smashing fightback behind the power-hitting Rachel Rourke.