The Philippines’ women’s beach volleyball program displayed both its present strength and promising future as rising stars Sofiah Pagara and Khy Progella and the celebrated tandem of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons produced a historic 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 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (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.

Things are looking bright for Pagara and Progella, who have won a BVR on Tour championship, winning 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 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.

Of course, 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, have 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.

Rondina and Pons secured their place in the final after outlasting Australia’s Jana Milutinovic and Jazz Rayner, 23-21, 21-19. The veteran tandem continues to lead the national program after helping the Philippines capture a historic women’s beach volleyball gold medal at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.