Pagara, Progella Push Hungary to the Limit but Fall Short in Nuvali Qualifiers

Alas Pilipinas’ Sofiah Pagara and Khylem Progella put up a valiant fight but fell just short against Hungary’s Lilla Villam and Stefania Kun, 21-19, 21-18, in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Nuvali Challenge on Wednesday at the Nuvali Sands Courts.

As the only Filipino pair to reach the second round of the qualifiers, Pagara and Progella demonstrated they belong on the international stage, keeping the Hungarian duo under pressure and staying within striking distance throughout the match.

In the second set, trailing 12-16, Pagara sparked a thrilling comeback, scoring two aces and adding two well-placed attacks in a personal 4-0 run to tie the score at 16-all.

But Kun and Villam, last year’s Balıkesir Futures champions, relied on their experience, responding with a decisive 3-0 run to take a 19-16 lead and ultimately fend off Pagara’s late surge to secure a spot in the main draw.

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

Earlier, Pagara and Progella had edged out Germany’s Mareet Maidhof and Tabea Schwarz, 21-19, 28-26, controlling most of the first set before Kun and Villam broke an 18-all tie and finished it with a 3-1 run to take the opener. Villam led Hungary with 14 points, while Kun contributed 10.

Other pairs advancing to the women’s main draw included 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.

On the men’s side, Philippine hopes ended in the qualifiers as both local pairs were eliminated in straight sets. Alex Iraya and Alihfaisal Gampong fell 21-7, 21-13 to Australia’s Oliver Merritt and Jed Walker, while Edwin Tolentino and Lerry Francisco lost 21-12, 21-11 to Brazil’s Gabriel Santiago and Johann Dohmann.

The Philippines still has strong contenders in the main draw, with Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons leading the women’s division, and Ranran Abdilla and Ronniel Rosales carrying the country’s hopes in the men’s tournament.