Alas Pilipinas young stars pulled off crucial wins in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour (BPT) Futures Nuvali with Kat Epa and Honey Grace Cordero marching on to the Round of 12 along with Khylem Progella and Sofia Paraga at the Nuvali Sand Courts on Saturday in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

National University’s Epa and Cordero, champions in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), turned back Israel’s Ronni Rivka Lavie and Anita Dave, 21-15, 14-21, 15-9.

The UAAP runners-up from University of Santo Tomas, Progella and Pagara, on the other hand, overcame the Netherlands’ Danieke Prins and Annemieke Driessen, 23-25, 21-11, 15-10.

James Buytrago and Rancel Varga also advanced by defeating BPT Futures Qingdao champions Domonkos Doczi and Bence Attila Streli of Hungary, 21-15, 21-19.

Epa and Cordero went cold in the second set as gusts started to pick up, but regrouped in the third to seal the win in 51 minutes. The match started with the temperature at 36 degrees but reached 38.1 by the third set.

“It was pretty difficult in the second. I had trouble passing, I was unable to find the right shots,” Cordero said. “I told myself in the third, I should make up for the misses.”

Progella and Pagara, on the other hand, faced a unique challenge against the Dutch at center court.

As the young Alas Pilipinas stars tried to step it up, their opponents’ movements in between points were deliberate.