Santa rosa city: Filipinos James Buytrago and Ran Abadilla were defeated by Australians D'Artagnan Potts and Jack Pearse, with scores of 14-21, 18-21, in the first quarterfinal match of the Volleyball World 2025 Beach Pro Tour Challenge. The match took place at the Nuvali Sands Court by Ayala Land in Santa Rosa City, Laguna.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Alas Pilipinas duo, who secured bronze at the 2023 Cambodia Southeast Asian Games, came close with an 18-19 score but ultimately fell short in the Pool H match. Buytrago, despite playing with an injured right index finger, expressed that their strategy adjustments were insufficient to secure a win.
Buytrago and Abadilla are set to face Americans Tim Brewster and Ryan Lerna in another quarterfinal match later in the evening. Italy's Enrico Rossi and Marco Viscovich beat Brewster and Lerna, 21-12, 22-20, advancing to Pool H alongside Potts and Pearse in the event hosted by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation, led by Ramon 'Tats' Suzara.
Buytrago remains optimistic about their chances, stating, "We still have a chance if we win against the USA in our later match. I believe we can bounce back later."
In Pool D, Indonesians Akbar Bintang and Sofyan Rachman Efendi emerged victorious over Germans Philip Huster and Maximilian Just, with scores of 23-21, 21-19. Other results include Spain's Alejandro Juerta and Adrian Gavira defeating Latvia's Ardis Beritis and Arturs Rinkevics, 21-19, 21-18, in Pool D, while USA's Logan Webber and Hagen Smith overcame Denmark's Mads Mollgaard and Nicolai Houmann, 21-17, 18-21, 15-12, in Pool B.
