AVC Boys U18 C'ship: India fight back to reach quarterfinals

The Indian U18 volleyball team stormed into the quarterfinals of the 2026 AVC Boys U18 Championship with a thrilling comeback win in Haikou, China, on Wednesday.

They came back from two sets down to defeat the Philippines 3-2 in their final group-stage match and finish second in Group B, confirming their place in the last eight.

It was India's second win of the tournament, following an earlier 3-1 victory over Bahrain. However, they had lost to Iran in their second match and therefore failed to top the group.

India made a poor start to the do-or-die match, losing the first two sets (16-25, 20-25) due to multiple unforced errors.

With a disappointing group-stage exit looming, the team produced a remarkable comeback, winning the next two sets (25-20, 25-23) to force a decider.

In the deciding set, India completely dominated the Philippines, whose struggles against India's powerful blocking were evident, and sealed a comfortable 15-4 victory.

The tournament also serves as a joint qualifier for the 2027 FIVB Boys' U19 World Championship, with the four semi-finalists qualifying for the global event.

In the quarterfinals, India will face the winners of Group D, which will be decided after the match between South Korea and Japan later in the day.