BUSAN, South Korea — The Philippines’ women’s beach volleyball program showed its present strength and promising future as rising stars Sofiah Pagara and Khy Progella and veterans Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons delivered a historic 1-2 finish at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Busan.
Pagara and Progella completed an unbeaten run by defeating Rondina and Pons 21-18, 21-13 in an all-Filipino final played under rainy conditions Sunday.
The reigning UAAP champions started in the qualification round and won all seven matches. They swept pool play before beating Japan’s Paurine Emiri Oto and Takemi Nishibori 21-12, 21-13 in the quarterfinals.
In the semifinals, Pagara and Progella rallied past another Japanese pair, Mayu Sawame and Wakana Akishige, 17-21, 21-13, 15-11, to reach the gold-medal match.
The University of Santo Tomas pair has steadily climbed through the Philippine beach volleyball system, winning national tournaments before making its mark internationally.
Pagara and Progella also won the BVR on Tour Sipalay leg last year. In December 2024, they topped the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Beach Volleyball Invitational, organized by BVR at the Nuvali Sand Courts in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
Rondina and Pons reached the final by beating Australia’s Jana Milutinovic and Jazz Rayner 23-21, 21-19.
Rondina is the most decorated player in the group, with six BVR on Tour titles, including the Sipalay leg with Dij Rodriguez earlier this year.
Pons has won three BVR on Tour titles, all with Rondina.
The veteran pair also swept the BVR-organized Philippine National Volleyball Federation Beach Volleyball Invitational and National Open tournaments last year.
Rondina and Pons remain at the forefront of the national program after helping the Philippines win its first women’s beach volleyball gold medal at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
The historic podium sweep gives the Philippines a major boost as it prepares for the 2026 Asian Games and builds toward a potential first Olympic berth in beach volleyball at Los Angeles 2028.
The Asian Games will serve as a key competitive target. Olympic qualification will be determined through designated continental events, the 2027 World Championships, the Olympic Ranking and the Olympic Q-Series.
With Pagara and Progella emerging alongside the established Rondina-Pons tandem, the Philippines now has greater depth and a stronger platform to pursue its Olympic ambitions. PR
