STA. ROSA, Laguna — A promising home campaign has ended for Alas Pilipinas.
Both Philippine women’s beach volleyball teams lost their respective Round of 16 matches to Chinese opposition at the 2024 Asian Beach Volleyball Championships on Friday in Nuvali.
READ: Alas beach coach confident young PH stars will soon shine on world stage
Gen Eslapor and Kly Orillaneda couldn’t replicate their wildcard round success and were hammered by China’s newly-coalesced power duo of reigning champion Xia Xinyi and bronze medalist Wang Jingzhe, 13-21, 8-21.
For the second time in three years, Eslapor bows out of the continental championships in the opening round of the knockout phase.
One of the tournament’s youngest pairs in Khylem Progella and Sofiah Pagara had their Cinderella run cut short by Xue Chen and Zeng Jinjin, 14-21, 11-21.
It was a breakthrough debut campaign nonetheless for the Progella-Pagara pair upon reaching the playoffs as 18 and 19-year-olds and holding their ground against some of Asia’s brightest beach volleyball stars.
It proved too tough an ordeal for the Filipinas to overcome as the Chinese pairs’ height advantage gave them the upper hand both on offense and defense.
“Dapat napagana namin agad ‘yung sarili namin nu’ng start ng game kaso parang kinapos talaga kasi ang tatangkad nila at advantage nila ‘yun,” Orillaneda said.
Progella added, “’Yung height advantage nila, kumbaga ang hirap talagang tapatan. Malalaki talaga sila kumpara sa’min pero binigay talaga namin ‘yung best namin para makatapat sa kanila.”
PH beach volleyball needs work and time
An even bigger stage possibly awaits both pairs should they be tapped as lucky draw entrants to the 2024 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge later this month and at the same Laguna venue.
Such regional exposure can give Alas Pilipinas opportunities not only to compete but also to identify what needs to be done for beach volleyball to be at par with the ever-rising international standard of play.
“Assessment na rin ‘to para sa’min. Sabi nga ng coaches, nothing to lose and everything to gain kasi ang importante, may matututunan kami sa experience na ‘to lalo na’t binigyan kami ng oportunidad na makalaban ‘yung ganitong mga klaseng level ng players,” Eslapor said.
“Bihira lang po ‘yung ganitong opportunity kaya kailangan pa talaga naming mag-trabaho.”
More time together, on and off the court, will be imperative in hastening the sport’s growth in the world stage.
“Advantage din talaga ng mga kalaban namin is ibang level na ‘yung nilalaro nila compared sa’min. Gaya namin, parang this year pa lang kami nagsimula ni Kly as partners so marami pa kaming room to grow,” she added.
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