Double quarterfinals for Philippines beach belles

NAGOYA – Philippine volley belles continued to sparkle on the sands.

Sofiah Shanine Pagara and Khylem Harl Progella sustained their blazing run from group play, standing their ground in a tough battle against Hong Kong’s MC Wong and NL Tsang, 26-24, 21-18.

Moments later, Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons turned heartbreak into payback, bouncing back from a closing loss in group play to outfight Japan’s Sakura Ito and Mayu Sawame, 21-17, 21-15.

The wins sent both Philippine pairs to the quarterfinals.

Pagara and Progella will face Japanese sisters Non and Ren Matsumoto, while Rondina and Pons get a rematch with group-play tormentors Merey Kozhakhmet and Laura Kabulbekova of Kazakhstan.

That rematch is personal.

The Philippine pair said their prelims loss to the Kazakhs, 17-21, 21-10, 10-15, fuelled the desire to get past the Japanese.

“Yung talo ang nagpatibay sa amin. Di namin matanggap ang inilaro namin against Kazakhstan. At yun ang nag-push sa amin hanggang dulo kanina,” said Rondina.

“Last time was not for us. But after the game, we stayed optimistic and we still looked at the positive side,” said Pons.

Pagara and Progella stayed locked in on one thing – keep fighting.

“We believe nandoon na kasi yung skills, kailangan na lang tiwala sa bawat isa, patient sa bawat isa at fighting spirit,” said Pagara.

Both sets went down to the wire, and the duo refused to give up, refused to waver, refused to blink.

“Sabi lang namin ‘kapit, laban.’ Nakahugot din kami ng lakas sa sigaw ng Philippine crowd – Laban Pilipinas!” said Progella.

For coach Joao Kioday, the quarterfinals are now reset. New day, new challenge.

“Today is little celebration and it will be over. We’ll be back to work,” he said.