THE Philippines’ AJ Pareja and Ran Abdilla in action against Thailand’s Banlue Nakprakhong and Wichaya Wisetkan

GEN Eslapor and Kly Orillaneda fell a tad short of the quarterfinals as the New Zealand pair of Katie Sadlier and Meile Rose Green marched on with a 21-18, 16-21, 15-12 victory on Saturday in the FIVB Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures at the Nuvali Sand Courts by Ayala Land in the City of Santa Rosa.

The lady spikers from the Philippine Air Force looked to have gained control of the high-noon showdown with a dominant second set only to fall behind early in the decider with the New Zealanders wrapping up the match in 55 minutes.

The 5-foot-6 Orillaneda rued having to play catch-up in the third.

“It was mostly because of our errors,” Orillaneda said. “We gave them some crucial points and it’s disappointing because we knew we could pull it off, we just didn’t execute.”

“We need to be able to convert points in transition,” said the 5-foot-7 Eslapor.  

Sadlier and Green, who earlier defeated Rēzija Puškundze and Loreta Cabule of Latvia, 24-26, 21-13, 15-4, in the Round of 12, set up a quarterfinal showdown with the German pair of Chenoa Christ and Anna-Lena Grüne.

Alexa Polidario and Jenny Gaviola earlier bowed out of the competition with a 10-21, 7-21 loss to Lithuania’s Marija Karaliute and Urte Andriukaityte.

In men’s play, the Philippines’ AJ Pareja and Ran Abdilla found their rhythm in the second set after a slow start but Thailand’s Banlue Nakprakhong and Wichaya Wisetkan proved too much, 12-21, 17-21.

Yusuf Özdemir and Batuhan Kuru of Turkey routed New Zealand’s James Sadlier and Juraj Krajci, 21-13, 21-15, Germany’s Philipp Huster and Bennet Poniewaz drubbed Ryo Tatsumi and Shiro Furuta of Japan, 21-11, 21-14, while Csanád Petik and Domonkos Dóczi beat Bence Tari and Bence Attila Stréli in an all-Hungarian match-up, 21-18, 21-14.

In other women’s preliminary matches, Charanrutwadee Patcharamainaruebhorn and Woranatchayakorn Phirachayakrailert of Thailand rose from a set down to beat Canada’s Devon May and Kaitlin Lomas, 19-21, 21-18, 15-7.

Harumi Sakai and Mayu Kikuchi of Japan drubbed Malaysia’s Mashitah Muhama Nasir and Shamsulrizal Nur Auni Maisarah, 21-10, 21-8 in the event backed by Smart Communications, Santa Rosa City Mayor Arlene Arcillas, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Senoh, Mikasa, Foton Motor Philippines Inc. and Seda Nuvali.

The tournament features 38 teams from 16 countries.

PH’s Ran Abdilla and Aj Pareja won against AUS’s Potts DArtagnan and Ben Hood.

THE Philippines got off to a hot start in the Smart Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Beach Tour Nuvali Open with three huge straight-sets victories on Thursday in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Ran Abdilla and AJ Pareja outhustled Australia’s Potts D’Artagnan and Ben Hood, 21-17, 21-19, in the first match at center court of the world-class Nuvali Sand Courts by Ayala Land to spark the other Philippine pair—James Buytrago and Rancel Varga—which overpowered Indonesia’s Yogi Hermawan and Ketut Ardana, 21-11, 21-9.

Gen Eslapor and Kly Orillaneda joined the fun by dispatching Singapore’s Cecilia Huichin Soh and Tin Wing Chan, 21-9, 21-15.

It was a huge opening-day win for the country and the organizing Philippine National Volleyball Federation headed by Ramon “Tats” Suzara, especially for Pareja and Abdilla who started training together only two months ago.

“We weren’t really focused on the score, we just did what we did in training, focus on the plays, minimize the errors,” Pareja said.

Abdilla and Pareja’s fine start also relieved some of the pressure off old buddies Varga and Buytrago, who pounced on the Indonesians for the quick win.

“Their win (Pareja-Abdilla) was a huge boost in confidence for us,” Varga said.

Paul Burnett and Jack Pearse of Australia defeated New Zealand’s Juraj Krajci and James Sadlier, 21-11, 21-15, in the in the event backed by Foton, Akari, Mikasa, Senoh, Seda, Asics, Cignal, One Sports, One Sports+ and Pilipinas Live.

Thailand’s Surin Jongklang and Dunwinit Kaewsai downed Malaysia’s Kaixu Looi and Weichun Ler, 21-12, 21-15, in the tournament organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation led by Tats Suzara.

China’s Li Zhuoxin and Liu Chuanyong scored a 21-18, 21-11 victory over Singapore’s Eng Cheng Feng Renfred and Ranjiv Sasikumar, while Iran’s Abdolhamed Mirzaali and Abolhassan Khakizadeh beat Dmitriy Yakovlev and Sergey Bogatu, 21-13, 19-21, 17-15.

In other women’s matches, Thailand’s P. Woranatchayakorn and P. Charanrutwadee eased past Macau’s Leong Onieng and Law Wengsam, 21-14, 26-24, while Japan’s Suzuka Hashimoto and Reika Murakami overpowered Eliza Chong and Huiying Ang of Singapore, 21-10, 21-12.

New Zealand’s Danielle Quigley and Olivia Macdonald thrashed Malaysia’s Mashitah Muhamad Nasir and Auni Shamsulrizal, 21-9, 21-10, while Japan’s Asami Shiba and Saki Maruyama defeated Kazakhstan’s Anastassiya Ukolova and Mariya Peressetskaya, 21-8, 21-17.

The PNVF will also host in Nuvali the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour-Futures from April 11 to 14 and after that the Volleyball Nations League Men’s Week 3 from June 18 to 23.

Foreign teams take their turn to train at the Nuvali Sand Courts on Wednesday

MANILA — Forty-eight qualification matches scheduled over 10 hours usher in Thursday as the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour (BPT) Challenge Philippine leg at Nuvali gets underway.

The PH stop of the tour is quiet literally bursting at the seams with the host Philippine National Volleyball League (PNVF) needing at least five hotels in and out of Santa Rosa City to billet athletes and officials.

“It’s the biggest beach volleyball competition the country has ever hosted,” PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara said on Wednesday.

“It’s the biggest and most prestigious with Olympic and world champions and top-ranked athletes converging in Nuvali.”

There are 16 teams each in the men’s and women’s main draw and the qualifiers alone, according to Suzara, have 32 teams for each gender representing more than 30 countries.

Dozens of other teams in both genders are also in town as reserves in the tournament supported by gold sponsors Ayala Land, Mikasa, Senoh, Philippine Sports Commission, Pinay In Action and Smart as gold sponsors and PLDT, Gatorade, Maynilad, Rebisco, Ayala Malls, Department of Tourism, CBPI, Club Laiya, Foton as bronze sponsors.

Nuvali, through Ayala Land, built four world-class and FIVB-standard sand courts and one practice court on a sprawling area fronting Landers.

Hotels within the Nuvali area have overflowed and the PNVF had to book participants in hotels in Silang, Alabang, and Batangas.

The qualification matches on Thursday start simultaneously in all four newly-built courts at 8 p.m. with the last matches set for 6 p.m.

The main draw proceeds Friday with simultaneous matches serving at 9 a.m. with the day’s competitions ending with 9 p.m. matches.

Teams have tested the courts in training since last Tuesday, including the Philippine squads coached by Brazilian Jao Luciano Kiodai.

“We’re going to expect the best of the best here,” Kiodai said. “But the most important here is to introduce to the Philippines the high level of beach volleyball.

“It’s going to be hard, but the process is much more important than the results we are going to have,” said Kiodai, who’s been handling the national squads for a year now.

Jovelyn Gonzaga and Sisi Rondina won the gold medal last year in Subic but the duo already reverted to indoor volleyball, handing the mantle to veterans Jen Eslapor and Floremel Rodriguez and national team first-timers Sofiah Pagara and Khylem Progella.

Kiodai set potent expectations for the nationals.

“We already showed in the last Asian Games that we can play in the world and play the best we can,” he said, referring to last year’s Future finalist Eslapor and Rodriguez, who posted a Philippine-best fifth-place finish in Asiad beach volleyball in Hangzhou.

The Philippine men’s teams are made up of Ran Abdilla and Jeron Requinton, Anthony Arbasto, and Alche Gupiteo, and the veteran pair of James Buytrago and Rancel Varga.

(ai/mnm)

MANILA — Players from 17 of the more than 30 countries seeing action in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour (BPT) Challenge have arrived on Monday—three days ahead of the elite beach volleyball competition set on five brand new world-class sand courts in Nuvali in Santa Rosa City.

These are women’s teams from Japan, Canada, the USA, China, Japan, Brazil, Spain, Austria, and Poland. The men’s squads from Turkiye, England, Australia, Ukraine, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, and Finland, have already checked in according to host Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara.

“It’s world-class beach volleyball action all of four days,” said Suzara, who thanked Ayala Land for partnering with the PNVF through the five competitions and one warmup court at posh Nuvali.

Tickets are available at vw.ticketmax.ph pegged at P100 for morning sessions and P200 for afternoon sessions. Tickets will also be available onsite starting Thursday.

The qualification matches for men and women are set from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, while the main draw on Friday starts at 9 a.m. with the final match at 9 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday are for the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals of the tournament that caps the PNVF’s busy 2023 calendar and supported by gold sponsors Ayala Land, Mikasa, Senoh, Philippine Sports Commission, Pinay In Action and Smart as gold sponsors and PLDT, Gatorade, Maynilad, Rebisco, Ayala Malls, Department of Tourism, CBPI, Club Laiya, Foton as bronze sponsors.

The Philippines, under Brazilian coach Joao Luciano Kiodai and Mayi Molit-Pochina, has Ran Abdilla and Jaron Requinton, James Buytrago and Rancel Varga, and Alche Gupiteo and Anthony Arbasto competing in the men’s contest and Gen Eslapor and Dij Rodriguez and newbie Sofia Pagara and Khylem Progella in the women’s division.

There are 16 teams in each of the men’s and women’s main draw while 32 teams are also vying in the qualification round for each gender.

Also expected are elite beach volleyball players from The Netherlands, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Estonia, Oman, Thailand, Latvia, New Zealand, Israel, Gambia, Morocco, Malaysia and Slovakia.

MANILA — All roads lead to Nuvali starting Sunday, November 30 for the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour (BPT) Challenge that gathers the world’s elite players for five days in the country’s new beach volleyball mecca in the city of Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Elite teams from more than 30 countries bannered by men’s world No. 1 Norway and women’s top-ranked Brazil will strut their stuff on Nuvali’s newly-minted five FIVB-standard sand courts before an anticipated Filipino crowd for one of the toughest world beach volleyball tournaments to be staged on Philippine soil by Ayala Land Inc., City of Santa Rosa and the Philippine National Volleyball Federation.

“Nuvali is the future of beach volleyball and it starts with the BPT Challenge,” PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara told the event’s press launch on Wednesday at the Philippine Sports Commission Conference Hall in Manila.

With Suzara were Ayala Land Vice President May Rodriguez and Estate Development head Mark Manundo, PNVF secretary-general Donaldo Caringal, PSC commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo, and members of the national beach volleyball teams.

“We are happy to welcome our national athletes and thankful to the PNVF for hosting such a beautiful event,” Rodriguez said. “There’s a lot of preparation to enjoy the upcoming events and we’re very excited.”

The Philippine team under Brazilian coach Joao Luciano Kiodai and Mayi Molit-Pochina is composed of men’s pairs Ran Abdilla and Jaron Requinton, James Buytrago and Rancel Varga, and Alche Gupiteo and Anthony Arbasto, and women’s tandems Gen Eslapor and Dij Rodriguez and newbie Sofia Pagara and Khylem Progella.

Fancied top teams USA, Australia, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Czech Republic and Poland are also in the fray with host Philippines vowing to give a run for their own money at home.

Stalwarts from France, England, Portugal, China, Chile, Austria, Lithuania, Estonia, Switzerland, Oman, Thailand, Latvia, Japan, New Zealand, Israel, Spain, Turkey, Gambia, Morocco, Malaysia, Finland, Slovenia, Ukraine and Slovakia are also out to stamp their class.

The BPT—which has Mikasa, Senoh, the PSC, Pinay In Action, and Smart as gold sponsors—ends December 4.

This time, the BPT Philippine leg with PLDT, Gatorade, Maynilad, Rebisco, Ayala Malls, Department of Tourism, CBPI, Club Laiya, and Foton as bronze sports, is tipped to be a way stage of tougher competition.

The BPT is an international tourney that brings top teams in women’s and men’s beach volleyball organized by the Volleyball World, the same institution hosting the prominent Volleyball Nations League (VNL).

Aside from the tourney, the BPT which is an inclusive event for all ages brings an entertainment spice that offers an all-in-one sport, music, and food vibes for an interactive fan fast and the beach lifestyle within a single venue space over four days.

Only 16 teams based on the world rankings are in so far in the 24-team main draw of the tournament with the final eight squads coming from the expected tough qualification, which will feature 32 teams each from both the men’s and women’s division.

The Philippine leg of the BPT is the last tournament before the finals on Dec. 6 to 9 in Doha, Qatar after thrilling stops through 16 legs in Mexico, Brazil, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Canada, Germany, Latvia, Portugal, France, India, China and Thailand.

But more than making it to the BPT finals, the top teams are also duking out for the much-needed points to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The BPT is only the latest world-class tourney hosted by the PNVF after bringing home the VNL for two straight years much to the delight of the volleyball-loving Filipino crowd.

(ai/mnm)