Young Alas pair Progella, Pagara stun ‘SiPons’ to win Futures tilt

MANILA, Philippines — From qualifiers to champions, Khylem Progella and Sofiah Pagara capped their amazing run by upsetting fellow Alas Pilipinas players Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons in an All-Filipino final, 21-18, 21-13, to rule the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures Busan Gwangalli in South Korea on a rainy Sunday.

Progella and Pagara pulled away in the second set with an 18-10 spread. Progella delivered the last two attacks that clinched their first Futures title.

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The young duo beat the reigning Southeast Asian Games gold medalists, who have been the face of Philippine beach volleyball in recent years.

Progella and Pagara took down Japan’s Mayu Sawame and Wakana Akishige, 17-21, 21-13, 15-11, in the semifinals earlier.

The Filipinos had to go through the qualification round, defeating Australia’s Mireille Smith and Lavinia Tyrrel, 21-12, 21-17, and Japan’s Harumi Sakai and Shion Tsubouchi, 21-10, 21-11, to advance to the main draw.

In Pool D, Progella and Pagara swept Korea’s Seo Gaeun and Kim Hyunjoo, 21-7, 21-8, and America’s Katie Horton and Jordan Boulware, 16-21, 21-17, 15-9.

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They eliminated Paurine Emiri Oto and Takemi Nishibori, 21-12, 21-13, in the quarterfinal.

Alas’ Rondina and Pons settled for silver after beating the eventual bronze medalist, Australia’s Jana Milutinovic and Jasmine Rayner, 23-21, 21-19, in the semifinals earlier.

Rondina and Pons also had an unbeaten run in Pool C after a 21-12, 21-7 sweep of Shin Jieun and Kim Jeonga and 21-16, 21-19 victory over Brazil’s Geovania De Lima Soares and Manu Pereira Cardoso.

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In the round of 12, the tandem dubbed “SiPons” beat Australia’s Jolie Du Plessis and Tara Phillips, 21-12, 21-18, and edged USA’s Alyssa Keller and Tiffany Svenssohn in the quartefinal, 23-21, 23-25, 15-11.