Waves standout calmly buries decisive penalty in sudden-death shootout, securing the soccer gold medal
Ariana Markey, 18, was the seventh player in line to take a shot at scoring a goal for the Philippines National Women’s Soccer Team during their sudden-death penalty shootout against Vietnam in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games’ championship in Chonburi, Thailand, on Dec. 17 — but things took a dramatic change.
After 120 minutes of regulation play and extra time the score was 0-0 and the penalty shootout was 4-4, and Markey’s teammate, Meryll Serrano, was supposed to kick the next scoring attempt for their squad, but she instead asked Markey to take her place.
Markey, also a freshman on the Pepperdine women’s soccer team, didn’t hesitate. She recalled reciting Bible verses to herself while preparing to take the kick in front of a stadium full of Filipina fans and Vietnam supporters.
“I’m going to bet on myself every single time,” Markey said. “I’m confident that I’m going to make this. Pressure is a privilege.”
She lined up and booted the ball into left corner pocket of the back of the net — beyond the reach of Vietnam’s goalkeeper Trần Thị Kim Thanh. Markey then celebrated by outstretching her arms confidently.
The Filipinas went on to edge Vietnam, the defending SEA Games champions, 6-5 in the shootout, claiming their first-ever gold medal at the SEA Games, a multi-sport event which features 11 countries from Southeast Asia.
Markey, a Fullerton native, whose mother Kyla Rodriguez is Filipina, said scoring the goal against Vietnam, a team the Filipinas strove to beat, was a seminal moment in her soccer career.
“This is the epitome of what every single player wants to experience,” she said. “Being in a stadium full of people who are there to see you represent a country. The energy, the competition, and the rivalry were so much fun to experience that on the field and be a determining factor. To me, this is what the sport is truly about.”
Markey said the gold medal was heavier than she thought it would be.
“I was wearing it around my neck the entire night,” she said. “I didn’t want to take it off. The next morning, my neck was sore. It was such an unreal experience — the energy and atmosphere might have been so much more valuable than the gold medal itself. The fans, the people, and knowing you made them proud meant so much more.”
The Philippines opened the SEA Games with a loss to Myanmar in group stage but bounced back with a 1-0 victory over Vietnam. They then beat Malaysia 6-0 before defeating Thailand 4-2 to reach the final match against Vietnam.
Markey scored her first goal against international competition in the 85th minute of the Filipinas rout of Malaysia.
“Scoring on my debut was also a really good moment for me,” she said.
Markey helped the Philippines win the gold medal a month after she helped the Waves win a second consecutive West Coast Conference title and make an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Markey recorded one goal and six assists for Pepperdine during the 2025 season. She was excited heading into her freshman campaign and felt that she improved during Pepperdine’s 20 games.
“I told myself that I would brave and try new things to see where I am compared to everyone else on this level,” she said. “I wanted to see where my room to grow is. That means taking risks and getting outside of my comfort zone.”
Some of those risks included the left-footed Markey, a shifty player, using her right foot and taking on matchups against skilled opposing forwards.
“Something I learned this season at Pepperdine was being patient and composed on the field, but also being feared at the same time,” she said. “Not just working harder but working smarter has been a big thing for me.”
She noted that playing against a talented UCLA squad in the first round of the NCAA Tournament helped her prepare for her goal against Vietnam.
“There is truly nothing to be scared of on the field,” Markey said.
Markey grew up playing softball and soccer but shifted her focus to only soccer when she was an eighth-grader because it was hard to focus on playing both sports at a prominent level. She added that her hard work in the soccer began with her kicking a soccer ball against a wall at home continuously.
“I just wanted to be prepared,” she said. “I wanted to be on the ball. It was the drive I had that has prepared me so much for where I am today.”
Markey played club soccer with Slammers FC and then Legends FC. She played three years of varsity soccer at Orange Lutheran High School. Pepperdine head coach Tim Ward recruited her to the Waves after seeing her play several times in club soccer matches.
The Philippines national soccer program invited Markey to her first tryout when she was 15. She played on nation’s U17 teams in the 2023 and 2025 U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers and also took the field with the U20 team in the 2023 U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers. Soon after, she was called up to the senior team for an event but was unable participate due to her school schedule.
Markey said her national team teammates respect her, and despite her being a teenager, her age isn’t much of a factor on the pitch.
“Anyone who is out there, willing to step on the field will do it,” she added. “It doesn’t matter how old I am, it’s just the quality of play.”
Markey wanted to make her presence known on the Philippines senior squad in the SEA Games.
“I wanted to show not only the team but the supporters of the country what I was capable of contributing and that I’m an asset to the team,” she said. “Being able to prove myself of that on and off the field was such a big deal.”
Markey and the Waves are currently participating in their spring season.
She will join her national team teammates next month, competing against Australia, Iran, and South Korea in Group A of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Perth, Australia.
Markey is looking forward to taking the field against Australian right Ellie Carpenter, who also plays for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League in Europe.
“She is wingback, like I am, and I love how fierce she is on the field and her versatility,” Markey said. “I really reflect that in myself as a player. I think it will be really interesting if I do go against her. I watch her on Chelsea all the time.”
Markey hasn’t had an in-depth conversation with Serrano, her national team teammate, about why she turned to her to take the penalty kick against Vietnam, but she looks forward to.
“I was so honored that she had the belief in me, had the confidence in me,” Markey said.
After her college career, Markey wants to play professional soccer — so much so that she has been learning French because she dreams of playing for the French squads Lyon or Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in the Women’s Super League. She also is optimistic for soccer in the Philippines.
“Philippines is still building its football foundation,” Markey said. “I really want to help lift up the game and the sport. I really hope I can make an impact in that.”