International teams brought unexpected excitement to the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour's Nuvali Challenge in the Philippines, with squads from Denmark, Romania, and Finland making surprising advances. All three triumphed in Wednesday’s qualifiers and progressed to the knockout stage of the women’s main draw.
Unexpected Performances Steal the Spotlight
Denmark’s duo, Sofia Bisgaard and Cirkeline Hog, made the biggest waves by defeating third-seeded Americans Morgan and Alaina Chacon in straight sets (29-25, 21-19). Entering the tournament as the 30th seed, Denmark’s next challenge is Thailand’s seasoned pair, Tanarattha Udomchavee and Rumpaipruet Numwong, with a spot in the round of 16 at stake.
Romania also impressed with Francesca Alupei and Beata Vaida, seeded 24th, edging out ninth-seeded Americans Teegan Van Gunst and Piper Ferch in a tight three-set clash (21-16, 13-21, 15-12).
Meanwhile, the Finnish team of Anniina Parkkinen and Valma Prihti earned a straight-set win (21-11, 21-15) over the Philippines’ local favorites Mary Orillaneda and Genesa Eslapor. The two European teams, Romania and Finland, are set to face off in Friday’s crucial Pool H final.
Pool Action Remains Intense
Other matches across various pools maintained a high level of intensity:
- Thailand’s Naraphornrapat Taravadee and Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee narrowly defeated Japan’s Sakura Ito and Mayu Sawame in Pool D.
- In Pool B, Lithuania’s Ieva Dumbauskaite and Gerda Grudzinskaite came from behind to beat Japan’s Asami Shiba and Reika Murakami.
Powerhouse teams such as top-seeded Australians Taliqua Clancy and Jana Milutinovic, along with contenders from Brazil, Czechia, Lithuania, and Switzerland, are gearing up for Friday’s pool finals. These matches will serve to determine bracket positions as the competition intensifies.
Main Draw Ahead
The women’s main draw resumes Friday at 09:00 local time. This phase offers participating teams the opportunity to compete for coveted spots in the round of 16 at this important stop on the 2025 Beach Pro Tour.
For the latest updates and match results, visit the official tournament page on Volleyball World.
