PNVF PHOTO
JAMES Buytrago and Rancel Varga of the Philippines rose from a set down to beat the young Hungarian pair of Csanád Petik and Domonkos Doczi, 17-21, 21-17, 18-16, in the 2024 FIVB Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures-Nuvali on Friday.
Buytrago and Varga leaned on the crowd on the showcourt of the Nuvali Sand Courts by Ayala Land in the City of Santa Rosa, turning back the duo that had played in the European Under-22 championships in 2023 and the FIVB Under-19 Beach World Championship in 2021.
Hasan Huseyin Mermer and Kurt Sacit of Turkey defeated Banlue Nakprakhong and Wichaya Wisetkan of Thailand, 21-14, 21-19.
Tomas Semerad and Adam Miroslav Stocek, the Czech Republic indoor beach volleyball champions, overcame New Zealand’s James Sadlier and Juraj Krajci, 25-27, 21-18, 15-9.
Japan’s Ryuichi Adachi and Nassim Malki, who beat Ranran Abdilla and AJ Pareja in the Nuvali Open, downed Batuhan Kuru and Yusuf Ozdemir of Turkey, 16-21, 21-19, 15-9.
The Philippines' Gen Eslapor and Kly Orillaneda started their campaign in the 2024 FIVB Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures on a bright note, defeating Malaysia’s Mashitah Muhamad Nasir and Shamsulrizal Nur Auni Maisarah, 21-11, 23-21, on Friday.
The Air Force spikers sustained their fine form after a decent run in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Beach Tour Nuvali Open, turned back the pair of teen players from Malaysia on a tough morning for two other Philippine teams.
They next face New Zealand’s Danielle Quigley and Olivia MacDonald, who overcame a tough challenge from Japan’s Mayu Kikuchi and Harumi Sakai, 21-16, 16-21, 18-16.
German stars Chenoa Christ and Anna-Lena Grüne swept past the other Philippine women’s pair of Alexa Polidario and Jenny Gaviola, 21-10, 21-5.
The Philippines also suffered a tough loss in men’s play early, as Abdilla and Pareja bowed to Robin Sowa and Lukas Pfretzschner, the back-to-back German Beach Tour Hamburg champions and 2016 Under-18 European champions, 12-21, 18-21.
