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PH women’s beach volley through to 2nd round in Asian Seniors

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PH women’s beach volley through to 2nd round in Asian Seniors

HIGHLIGHT. Dji Rodriguez and Gen Eslapor cop the Philippines' lone win so far in the tournament.

Asian Volleyball Confederation

The Philippine women's beach volleyball pairs nail berths in the Asian Seniors Round of 16

The Philippine women’s beach volleyball teams advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2021 Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championships in Phuket, Thailand on Wednesday, November 24. 

Through to the second round are the pairs of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons, and Dji Rodriguez and Gen Eslapor, who highlighted the day’s action with the first win of the tournament. 

Rodriguez and Eslapor made quick work of Sri Lanka 2’s Deepika Bandara and Malsha Priyamali Manis Hewage Hashini, 22-20, 21-12, for its first win in three Pool A games.

The Philippines’ top pair of Rondina and Pons, on the other hand, debuted with a heartbreaking 21-13, 20-22, 12-15 loss to Japan 3’s Asami Shiba and Takemi Nishibori in Pool D.

Later in the afternoon, Rondina and Pons bowed to a tall Thai 2 pair of Taravadee Naraphornrapat and Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee, 9-21, 14-21.

Regardless of their Pool D standing, Rondina and Pons are already through the Round of 16 as there are only four pairs in their group.

After their gallant efforts in last Tuesday’s opening-day losses to Australia 1’s Phoebe Bell and Georgia Johnson, and National Olympic Committee of Thailand 1’s Paravatsorn Radarong and Tanarattha Udomchavee, Rodriguez and Eslapor finally earned a breakthrough, needing only 33 minutes to keep the Sri Lankans winless in the continental competition.

The newly minted Beach Volleyball Republic on Tour Santa Ana champions, Rondina and Pons rallied from an 11-17 hole to level at 20-20, but the Japanese side scored a go-ahead kill and capitalized on a Filipino error on the next rally to extend the match.

Shiba, familiar to Philippine fans having led Japan to a FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Boracay Open 1-Star gold medal in 2019, and Nishibori then displayed superiority in the decider to close out the thrilling 53-minute match.

Rondina and Pons were sensational on both ends of the sand court in the first-set victory, before Shiba and Nishibori came back in the second set.

Before heading to the Round of 16,  Rondina and Pons will face Australia 3’s Alisha Stevens and Jana Milutinovic on Thursday, November 25, 9:50 am, Manila time. 

Seeking for a better ranking, Rodriguez and Eslapor will wrap up their Pool A assignments against Kazakhstan 1’s Alina Rachenko and Anastassiya Ukolova on Thursday, 9 am. 

The men’s pairs of Jude Garcia and Krung Arbasto, and AJ Pareja and James Pecaña drew a bye and will go all-out for the victory on Thursday to remain in the competition.

Only the top two from each pool in the men’s division will advance to the knockout stage.

Garcia and Arbasto will face Singapore’s Kingsley Tay and Melvin Goh Teng Kuan in the Pool C match at 10:40 am, Manila time, while Pareja and Pecaña will go up against NOCT 2’s Kangkon Narongdet and Kaewsai Dunwinit at 11:30 am, Manila time in Pool G. – Rappler.com

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