Philippine women‘s beach volleyball team rising stars Sofiah Pagara and Khy Progella at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Busan, South Korea. Handout photo.MANILA — The present and future of the Philippines women’s beach volleyball program were in full display as rising stars Sofiah Pagara and Khy Progella, and the celebrated tandem of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons produced a 1-2 finish at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Busan, South Korea.
Pagara and Progella completed an unbeaten campaign by defeating Rondina and Pons, 21-18, 21-13, in an all-Filipino final played under rainy conditions Sunday afternoon.
Coming all the way from the qualification round, the reigning UAAP champions won all seven of their matches. They swept pool play before overcoming Japan’s Paurine Emiri Oto and Takemi Nishibori, 21-12, 21-13, in the quarterfinals.
In the semifinal, Pagara and Progella rallied past another Japanese tandem, Mayu Sawame and Wakana Akishige, 17-21, 21-13, 15-11, to book their place in the gold-medal match.
The young University of Santo Tomas pair has steadily risen through the Philippine beach volleyball system, winning national-level tournaments before making its mark on the international stage.
Pagara and Progella have also won a BVR on Tour championship, taking the Sipalay leg last year. The tandem also topped the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Beach Volleyball Invitational organized by BVR at Nuvali Sand Courts in City of Santa Rosa, Laguna, in December 2024.
Rondina and Pons advanced to the final after outlasting Australia’s Jana Milutinovic and Jazz Rayner, 23-21, 21-19.
Rondina is the most decorated in the group, having won six BVR on Tour titles, including the Sipalay leg with Dij Rodriguez earlier this year. Pons, on the other hand, has captured three, all with Rondina.
Rondina and Pons also swept the BVR-organized Philippine National Volleyball Federation Beach Volleyball Invitational and National Open tournaments last year.
The veteran tandem continues to lead the national program after helping the Philippines capture a women’s beach volleyball gold medal at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
The podium sweep provides a boost to the Philippines’ preparations for the 2026 Asian Games and strengthens the country’s long-term campaign toward the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
The Asian Games is an important competitive target, while Olympic qualification will come through designated continental events, the 2027 World Championships, the Olympic Ranking and the Olympic Q-Series.