Alas Pilipinas pair falls short of Beach Pro Tour main draw

Alas Pilipinas’ Khylem Progella and Sofiah Pagara during the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Nuvali Challenge qualifiers. –HANDOUT PHOTO

SANTA ROSA, Laguna – Alas Pilipinas’ Sofiah Pagara and Khylem Progella missed the main draw of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Nuvali Challenge but they impressed and showed maturity beyond their years against world-class opponents.

Pagara and Progella, student-athletes from University of Santo Tomas, pushed Hungary’s Lilla Villam and Stefania Kun to their limits before yielding a 21-19, 21-18 loss on Wednesday night at the Nuvali Sands Courts.

Trailing 12-16 in the second set, Pagara mounted a spirited fightback for Alas Pilipinas, firing two aces and mixing in two well-placed attacks for a personal 4-0 blast that forced a 16-all deadlock.

But Kun and Villam, winners of last year’s Balıkesir Futures, leaned on their experience and kept the young Filipinos at bay to advance to the main draw.

“It was very overwhelming. We learned a lot. They are experienced players from abroad, so we are very grateful that even though we fell short, we showed what we are capable of,” said Pagara, who finished with 19 points in the loss. “I just really wanted to win, so I told myself I would give my best.”

Pagara and Progella were the lone Filipino pair to reach the second round of the qualification tournament.

They turned back Germany’s Mareet Maidhof and Tabea Schwarz, 21-19, 28-26, with Pagara finishing with 25 points.

Villam led Hungary with 14 points, while Kun added 10.

Wies Bekhuis and Desy Poiesz, Nigella Negenman and Floor Hogenhout of the Netherlands; Kaiyue Jiang and Jie Dong of China; Andressa Ramalho and Taina Bigi of Brazil; Sofia Bisgaard and Cirkeline Høg of Denmark; Marie-Alex Bélanger and Amy Ozee of Canada; and Daniele Kvedaraite and Jekaterina Saule of Lithuania completed the women’s main draw of the first Pro Tour.

On the men’s side, Alex Iraya and Alihfaisal Gampong were outclassed by Australia’s Oliver Merritt and Jed Walker, 21-7, 21-13.

Edwin Tolentino and Lerry Francisco absorbed a 21-12, 21-11 defeat against Brazil’s Gabriel Santiago and Johann Dohmann.

The Philippines, however, still has formidable contenders waiting in the main draw, with Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons bannering the women’s division, while Ranran Abdilla and Ronniel Rosales carry the country’s hopes in the men’s division.