Alas Pilipinas tests mettle at home in Asian senior beach volleyball tilt

MANILA, Philippines — Stefanie Fejes and Jana Milutinovic of Australia will be back to seek another title as Alas Pilipinas battles for podium spots in the 2024 Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championships starting November 5 at the Nuvali Sand Courts in the City of Santa Rosa, Laguna.

The Aussie pair ruled the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Beach Tour Nuvali Open in April and have confirmed participation along with 19 other women’s tandems in the six-day event hosted by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF).

Eight other women’s teams will go through qualifying for the remaining four slots in the main draw, according to PNVF and Asian Volleyball Confederation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara.

Iran’s Abbas Pourasgari and Alireza Aghajanighasab are also set to return, looking to reprise their Nuvali Open triumph and will head the 20 pairs already in the men’s main draw.

Nineteen pairs are confirmed for the qualifying phase that will determine who gets the four open slots in the main draw.

Also back in action is Jasmine Fleming, who wound up with the silver medal with Georgia Johnson in April and will now team up with Elizabeth Alchin.

The Philippines will again count on the Philippine Air Force duo of Gen Eslapor and Kly Orillaneda, who reached the Round of 16 last summer.

Khylem Progella and Sofiah Pagara, teammates at University of Santo Tomas, are also in the main draw of the tournament.

A third Philippine pair, Philippine Army’s Alexa Polidario and Coast Guard’s Jenny Gaviola, will try to make it through the qualifying tournament.

The PNVF beach volleyball program also switched things up in the Alas Pilipinas men’s side by pairing Southeast Asian Games veterans Ran Abdilla and James Buytrago.

Rancel Varga, who earned the silver medal with Buytrago in the FIVB Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in April, teams up on the big stage with Lerry John Francisco.

Former University of Perpetual Help star Ronniel Rosales and ex-National University stalwart Edwin Tolentino are also entered in the men’s qualifiers.