The Philippines got off to an impressive start in the Rebisco Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Beach Tour Nuvali Open, with both the Alas Pilipinas men’s and women’s teams securing key victories on opening day in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Invitationals champions Khylem Progella and Sofia Pagara dominated their opening match, dispatching Malaysia’s Ee Ling Pua and Rachael Go with a 21-8, 21-18 win at the Nuvali Sand Courts.

In the men’s division, Rancel Varga and James Buytrago delivered an electrifying performance just before the noon break, outclassing Uzbekistan’s Mustafoev Golibjon and Nodirjon Alekseev, 21-13, 21-6.

Confident Start for the Philippines

Progella and Pagara secured their straight-sets win in just 28 minutes but acknowledged that they need to remain sharp moving forward.

“We may have relaxed a little bit in the second set, but we quickly realized that straight-sets wins are crucial in pool play,” said Progella.

Pagara, meanwhile, emphasized that the duo entered the tournament with a more confident mindset following their experience in last year’s Asian Seniors Beach Volleyball Championships.

“We feel a lot more confident this time, although the preparation was shorter,” she noted.

Tough Battles for Other Philippine Teams

University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) champions Kat Epa and Honey Grace Cordero made their AVC debut in a thrilling encounter against Japan’s Saki Maruyama and Miki Ishii. The Philippine duo pushed their opponents to the limit before falling short, 12-21, 21-19, 9-15, in a 47-minute battle at center court.

Meanwhile, Lerry John Francisco and Edwin Tolentino fought hard against Asian Senior Beach Volleyball champions D’Artagnan Potts and Jack Pearse of Australia before bowing out, 17-21, 18-21.

Another Australian pair, Paul Burnett and Luke Ryan, handed the Philippines a tough loss, defeating Ronniel Rosales and Alexander Jhon Iraya in straight sets, 21-13, 21-18.

International Highlights

Elsewhere in the tournament, several international teams showcased their strength:

• Thailand’s Pithak Tipjan and Poravid Taovato, runners-up in the 2024 Nuvali Open, bounced back from a slow start to beat China’s Song Jinyang and Zhang Tai, 16-21, 21-9, 15-10.

• Indonesia’s Bintang Sofyan and Akbar Efendi defeated China’s Yuan Mao and Yuan Liu, 21-18, 21-16.

• New Zealand’s Bradley Fuller and Ben O’Dea dominated Hong Kong’s Lee Cheukhei and Lee Litfung, 21-11, 21-11.

The Rebisco AVC Beach Tour Nuvali Open continues with more exciting matches as the Philippine teams aim to build on their strong start.