Aussies Triumph Over Filipinos in Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge Nuvali.

Santa Rosa City: Australians Jasmine Fleming and Elizabeth Alchin showcased their prowess in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge Nuvali, decisively defeating the Filipino pair, Alas Pilipinas' Alexa Polidario and Jen Gaviola. The Australian duo clinched victory with scores of 21-11, 21-13 in the qualifying round of the tournament held in Santa Rosa City, Laguna. According to Philippines News Agency, the Filipino pair, consisting of 5-foot-9 Gaviola and 5-foot-7 Polidario, put forth a commendable effort but were ultimately overpowered by the towering six-footers from Australia. The Australian team, ranked No. 123 globally, had previously achieved a fifth-place finish in the Asian Seniors and secured seventh place in the BPT Challenge Chennai. Gaviola, aged 26, acknowledged the gap in experience despite their participation in several international tournaments, emphasizing the need to address lapses and improve performance. "I believe we did fine because we followed the coaches' instructions. There w ere lapses and we need to address those," she remarked. The tournament, organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation under the leadership of Ramon "Tats" Suzara, has drawn top teams from the FIVB circuit. The reigning Asian Senior Beach Volleyball champions, D'Artagnan Potts and Jack Pearse, had to navigate the qualifying rounds to progress further. Potts and Pearse, ranked No. 64 in the world, overcame Filipino nationals Ronniel Rosales and Edwin Tolentino with scores of 21-8, 21-10. Meanwhile, Alas Pilipinas' Gen Eslapor and Kly Orillaneda are set to begin their campaign in the main draw. Ranked 125th globally, they recently finished fifth in the AVC Beach Tour Taoyuan Open and secured ninth positions in both the Asian Seniors and the BPT Futures Qingdao. Orillaneda highlighted the significant challenge posed by the participation of top-ranked European and American teams, asserting the need for peak performance. The women's division is headlined by Paris Olympians, including the French pair Alexia Richard, world No. 22, and Clémence Vieira, world No. 31, along with Aline Chamereau. Ukrainian champions Maryna Hladun and Tetiana Lazarenko, who recently won the BPT Challenge Chennai, are also in the competition, alongside Australians Jana Milutinovic and Stefanie Fejes, who have notable achievements from earlier tournaments. In the men's division, Filipinos James Buytrago and Rancel Varga, who earned silver in the BPT Futures Nuvali in April, are teaming up in the BPT Challenge event, a precursor to the BPT Elite 16. Ran Abdilla, who previously partnered with Buytrago in the Asian Seniors, is now paired with Lerry John Francisco. The field also features the English twins Joaquin and Javier Bello, world No. 17, fresh off a victory at the Beach Pro Tour Elite 16 in Rio de Janeiro.