NOT even the rain could wash away the luster of an all-Filipino title showdown in the sands of Busan.
Khy Progella and Sofia Pagara weathered the rare wet conditions to pull off the biggest win of their young beach volleyball partnership, stunning Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons, 21-18, 21-23, to rule the FIVB Beach Pro Tour Futures in Busan, South Korea on Sunday.
READ: Rondina, Pons to skip PVL on Tour to prepare for Asian Games
The University of Santo Tomas-based tandem made the most of the game's crucial breaks, using smart shot placements to pry open gaps in the heralded 'SiPons' pair's defense and hold off their more experienced Alas Pilipinas Women Beach compatriots for the gold.
For Progella and Pagara, the victory capped a perfect run through the tournament and offered another glimpse of what could be next for one of the country's emerging beach volleyball tandems.
Progella, the UAAP Season 88 women's beach volleyball MVP, and Pagara, the Season 87 Rookie of the Year, completed a clean six-game sweep after previously beating contingents from Australia, South Korea, United States and two separate teams from Japan.
The young pair, who battled through qualifying to reach the main draw, capitalized on every opening as the rain intensified, with their precision and patience proving decisive against 'SiPons.'
Rondina and Pons, meanwhile, also navigated a difficult path to the championship match, defeating teams from South Korea, Australia and the United States. They absorbed an earlier loss to Brazil but recovered to make their way into the final, setting up an all-Filipino clash for the Busan crown.
Instead, it was the younger UST tandem that had the final say.
Progella and Pagara's six-match sweep not only delivered their biggest international title yet, but also gave Philippine beach volleyball another statement result, this time with two of its brightest young prospects beating the country's established 'SiPons' duo at FIVB Beach Tour level.
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