Progella, Pagara punch semis ticket

Alas Pilipinas’ Khylem Progella and Sofiah Pagara booked their ticket to the semifinal after outworking Japan’s Non Matsumoto and Ren Matsumoto, 24-22, 22-20, in the 20th Asian Games women's beach volleyball competition quarterfinal on Wednesday at the Hekinan Ryokuchi Beach Court.

The duo showed great resolve in repelling the Japanese sisters’ determined comeback attempts to advance to the next stage, as the Philippines surpassed its fifth-place finish in the previous edition three years ago.

"Exhausting but very happy. We knew it’s not gonna be easy even with our height advantage against them. But we fought for this. We prayed hard to get the result we wanted and prepared for in the past months," Progella said.

Alas’ dream of an all-Filipino semis, however, was foiled after Sisi Rondina-Rosales and Bernadeth Pons bowed to Thailand’s Taravadee Naraphornrapat and Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee, 17-21, 21-12, 13-15, which ended their campaign.

Progella and Pagara will try to snatch a gold medal round seat and avenge their compatriots against the Thais in the semis today at 8 a.m. (Manila time).

The Progella-Pagara tandem had to hang tough in the closing stretch of both sets as the hosts mounted late rallies to force extended play.

The Philippines took a 20-18 lead in the opening set, but the Matsumotos fired back and forced a deuce. Progella and Pagara took two more set-point advantages before finally breaking free from the back-and-forth crawl after Non Matsumoto sent her attack out.

Alas again built a 19-16 separation but allowed Japan to tie it with three straight points. Pagara pushed Alas to match point but the Japanese knotted it once again.

Pagara again put Alas at match point with a hit before tipping in an overpass by Ren Matsumoto to seal the win.

“Grateful for the result. It’s unexpected. We prepared and worked hard for this win. Our video review of their matches paid off, as we prepared a great game plan on how to move inside the court," Pagara said.

The tandem has remained unbeaten in five outings without dropping a single set.

Rosales and Pons were not as lucky, however.

The reigning Southeast Asian Games gold medalists recovered from an opening set setback and were two points away from clinching a semis spot after erecting a 13-11 lead in the deciding frame.

But Thailand got the breaks of the game with a crushing 4-0 finishing blow to exact revenge over its 2025 Bangkok SEA Games final tormentors.

Meanwhile, the opposite bracket is an all-Chinese semifinal pairing.

China’s Shuting Cao and Jie Dong swept Thais Patcharaporn Seehawong and Salinda Mungkhon, 21-18, 21-13, while compatriots Xinyi Xia and Xu Yan sent Kazakhstan’s Merey Kozhakmet and Laura Kabulbekova packing, 21-12, 21-15.