Philippine holds ground vs China

MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas stood its ground against China in a war of attrition, 22-20, 22-20, yesterday to reach the quarterfinals of the Rebisco Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Beach Tour Nuvali Open.

Khylem Progella and Sofia Pagara overcame tense moments against China’s top pair of Yan Xu and Zhou Mingli to secure a place in the round-of-eight at the world-class Nuvali Sand Courts in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

In an error-plagued endgame where they wasted match points with four consecutive service errors, Progella and Pagara pulled off impressive plays to regain control and eventually put away the top Chinese pair.

“We had trouble finding the mark on serve when trying to close them out. No excuses but the heat was too much,” Progella said.

The young spikers from University of Santo Tomas – Progella is 19 and Pagara 20 – showed poise against Yan and Zhou, who have the fourth-highest rating in this field, registering three block points against none by their rivals.

Progella and Pagara led by as many as four points in the first set and had to rally from four down in the second.

“They can become a little emotional during these tough situations, but they come through,” said Alas Pilipinas’s Brazilian beach volleyball coach Joao Luciano Kiodai.

Progella and Pagara take on Australia’s Elizabeth Alchin and Georgia Johnson, the second-highest ranked team in the tournament, for a place in the semifinals.