NOT WITHOUT A FIGHT. Jen Eslapor of the Philippines (right) tries to stop her Australian foe from scoring during their Last 16 match in the Smart Asian Volleyball Confederation Beach Tour at the Nuvali Sand Courts, Santa Rosa City, Laguna on Saturday (April 6, 2024). Australia won, 21-16, 21-15. (PNVF photo)
MANILA - Australians Tara Philips and Elizabeth Alchin carved out a 21-16, 21-15 over tough Filipino duo Jen Eslapor and Kly Orillaneda in the round of 16 match of the Smart Asia Volleyball Confederation Beach Tour Nuvali Open at Nuvali Sand Courts in Santa Rosa City, Laguna, Saturday.
Eslapor and Orillaneda, both enlisted members of the Air Force, had limited time to train but still managed to perform well.
“We entered this tournament with no expectations and are quite pleased with the result. Steadily we are improving our partnership and our skills," Eslapor said.
Orillaneda, stationed in Davao, joined Eslapor in training less than a month ago.
"I’m very pleased but at the same time, I know I could do better, so I vow to raise my game for the next tournament," Orillaneda said.
They will join the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour-Futures starting April 11, also in Nuvali.
Meanwhile, Filipino pairs Ran Abdilla and AJ Pareja, and James Buytrago and Rancel Varga likewise failed to advance to the men’s quarterfinals.
Abadilla and Parejo lost to Iran’s Abdolhamed Mirzaali and Abolhassan Khakizadeh, 20-22, 15-21, while Buytrago and Varga surrendered to Indonesia's Bintang Akbar and Sofyan Efendi, 17-21, 18-21.
Thailand’s Tipjan Pithak and Taovato Poravid rallied past Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Yakovlev and Sergey Bogatu, 29-27, 17-21, 16-14; Japan's Yusuke Ishijima and Kensuke Shoji clobbered Kazakhstan's Nurdos Aldash and Kirill Gurin, 21-17, 21-14; Australia’s D’Artagnan Potts and Ben Hood beat Japan’s Kosuke Fukishima and Hiroki Dylan Kurokawa, 21-18, 21-9; Iran's Abbas Pourasgari and Alireza Aghajanighasab conquered Hong Kong’s Wong Puilam and Lau Cheukyin, 21-18, 21-15; Australia’s Paul Burnett and Jack Pearse turned back Indonesia’s Danangsyah Pribadi and Yosi Firnanda, 19-21, 21-16, 15-10; and Thailand's Surin Jongklang and Dunwinit Kaewsai downed China’s Li Zhuoxin and Liu Chuanyong, 21-19, 21-17.
Also advancing in the women's division were Japan’s Asami Shiba and Saki Maruyama, and Suzuka Hashimoto and Reika Murakami; Australia’s Jasmine Fleming and Georgia Johnston; and Indonesia’s Desi Ratnasari and Nur Sari. (PNA)
