RANCEL Varga and James Buytrago fell short of a second straight victory. Still, they did enough to earn the top spot in their group after the preliminaries of the Smart Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Beach Tour Nuvali Open on Friday (05 April 2024).

The young Filipino duo couldn’t sustain a fiery start and absorbed a narrow 22-20, 26-28, 13-15 loss to Japan’s Kosuke Fukishima and Hiroki Dylan Kurokawa at the world-class Nuvali Sand Courts by Ayala Land in the City of Sta. Rosa.

But the point earned from the three-set loss, plus the straight-sets victory a day earlier against Indonesia’s Yogi Hermawan and Ketut Ardana, earned Varga and Buytrago the No. 1 spot in Pool H ahead of the Round of 16.

The 5-foot-10 Varga and the 6-foot-1 Buytrago face Indonesia’s Bintang Akbar and Sofyan Efendi, who split their two preliminary matches.

The Indonesian pair lost on Friday to Australia’s Paul Burnett and Jack Pearse of Australia, 12-21, 16-21.

The other Philippine pair of AJ Pareja and Ran Abdilla advanced from Pool D after a split of their preliminary matches, setting up a Round of 16 showdown with Iran’s Abdolhamed Mirzaali and Abolhassan Khakizadeh, who topped Pool G.

Varga noted that the result still boosted them for the Round of 16.

“There were lapses, but at the same time the confidence is there,” said the former University of Santo Tomas spiker.

EX-National University star Buytrago agreed: “We take it one set at a time.”

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ Alexa Polidario and Jen Gaviola absorbed a second straight loss, bowing to Japan’s Riko Tsujimura and Takemi Nishibori, 5-21, 4-21.

Desi Ratnasari and Nur Atika Sari of Indonesia overcame Kazakhstan’s Anastassiya Ukolova and Mariya Peressetskaya, 21-13, 17-21, 15-12, while Patcharaporn Seehawong and Samitta Simarongnam routed Singapore’s Eliza Chong and Huiying Ang, 21-12, 21-10, in the event backed by Foton, Akari, Mikasa, Senoh, Seda, Asics, Cignal, One Sports, One Sports+ and Pilipinas Live.

Macau’s Leong Onieng and Law Wengsam shook off a sluggish start to beat Hong Kong’s Tsang Ngokling and Wong Manching, 17-21, 22-20, 15-12.

Hong Kong’s other team of To Wingtung and To Wingman scored a 21-10, 21-10 victory over Malaysia’s Mashitah Muhamad Nasir and Auni Shamsulrizal, while Laura Kabulbekova and Nadezhda Ivanchenko waylaid Cecilia Huichin Soh and Tin Wing Chan, 21-10, 21-9 in the tournament organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation led by Ramon “Tats” Suzara.

In other men’s matches, Tipjan Pithak and Taovato Poravid of Thailand outclassed Hong Kong’s Wong Puilam and Lau Cheukyin, 21-10, 21-13, while Thailand’s Surin Jongklang and Dunwinit Kaewsai overpowered Indonesia’s Danangsyah Pribadi and Yosi Firnanda, 21-16, 21-8.

Iran’s Abbas Pourasgari and Alireza Aghajanighasab completed a sweep of their preliminary matches by defeating Yusuke Ishijima and Kensuke Shoji, 21-13, 22-20, while Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Yakovlev and Sergey Bogatu overcame Thailand’s Netitorn Muneekul and Muadpha Wachirawit, 21-15, 22-24, 16-14.

The PNVF will also host in Nuvali the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour-Futures from April 11 to 14 followed by the Volleyball Nations League Men’s Week 3 from June 18 to 23.