AUSTRALIA COMPLETES DOUBLE GOLD IN AVC BEACH TOUR 2ND NUVALI OPEN IN PHILIPPINES

AVC and PNVF President Mr Ramon Suzara along with PNVF Board Members pose in group photo with all medallists

Australia made a clean sweep of both gold medals up for grabs in the “Rebisco” AVC Beach Tour 2nd Nuvali Open at the Nuvali Sand Courts by Ayala Land and PNVF in Philippines on Saturday, with Paul Burnett/Luke Ryan topping the men’s podium and Stefanie Fejes winning back-to-back women’s title with new partner Jasmine Fleming in City of Santa Rosa here.

 

Burnett/Ryan and Fejes/Fleming claim men’s and women’s titles for Australia

Sensation Fejes was initially set for a rousing return to the world-class competition venue here in Philippines as she has already captured gold medal in the first edition of the AVC Beach Tour Nuvali Open last year. The 21-year-old teamed up with Jana Milutinovic to beat Jasmine Fleming/Georgia Johnson in the all-Australian women’s showdown to hand Australia the first-ever gold medal in the Nuvali Open.

AVC and PNVF President Mr Ramon Suzara along with PNVF Board Members pose in group photo with women’s medallists

This time, the 21-year-old Fejes switched from partnering Milutinovic to Jasmine Fleming, 22. However, Fejes and Fleming played together before. Their first two tournaments were in Udon Thani and Phuket in Thailand in 2020 and 2021 for the Asian Championships, finishing 17th and fifth overall, respectively. They revisited Thailand in July 2023, taking the Asian U21 Beach Volleyball Championship title in Roi Et.

Fejes/Fleming claim women’s title

In the Saturday’s final, Australia’s top seeds Fejes/Fleming narrowly edged past New Zealand’s third seeds Shaunna Polley/Olivia MacDonald, who recently topped the women’s podium at the GJ Gardner Homes NZ Beach Tour, 2-1 (21-13, 13-21, 17-15) in exhausting 49 minutes to reign supreme in the women’s event.

Shaunna Polley/Olivia MacDonald secure silver medal

The Saturday morning semifinals earlier saw Fejes/Fleming struggle hard to beat Japan’s sixth seeds Asami Shiba/Reika Murakami in hard-fought two-setter 26-24, 24-22 in 46 minutes and Kiwis Polley/MacDonald pull off sensational 2-0 (21-16, 23-21) victory against Australia’s second seeds Elizabeth Alchin/Georgia Johnson, bronze medallists at the last week’s World Beach Pro Tour Futures Coolangatta to their name.

Alchin/Johnson take bronze medal

Aussies Alchin/Johnson turned things around in the third-place playoff match against Shiba/Reika to overcome the Japanese opponents in epic tie-breaker 21-17, 17-21, 15-11 for bronze medal.

AVC and PNVF President Mr Ramon Suzara along with PNVF Board Members pose in group photo with men’s medallists

In the men’s event, three Australian pairings stormed their ways to the semifinals. Paul Burnett/Luke Ryan, who claimed the men’s title at the recent Australian Beach Volleyball Tour Finals in Coolangatta, spent only 27 minutes in stunning top seeds and 2024 Asian champions D’Artagnan Potts/Jack Pearse 2-0 (21-16, 21-5) in the first semifinal clash and a finals rematch of the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour in Coolangatta.

Burnett/Ryan capture men’s title

The other semifinal encounter saw Australia’s 14th seeds Ben Hood/Oliver Merritt stop the remarkable unbeaten run of 15th seeds Amirali GhalehNovi/Bahman Salemiinjehboroun, outplaying the Iranian duo 2-0 (21-12, 21-16).

Hood/Merritt take silver

In the all-Australians showdown, Burnett/Ryan continued their incredible form, demolishing Hood/Merritt 2-0 (21-13, 21-18) not only to capture the men’s title without dropping a set in the action-packed four-day event, but also give Australia double gold in the second edition of the AVC Beach Tour Nuvali Open.

Potts/Pearse pick up bronze

Embattled Potts/Pearse also gave Australia a men’s podium sweep on Saturday. The top seeds put it past fighting Iran’s GhalehNovi/Salemi Bahman 2-1 (20-22, 21-19, 20-18) in the hotly-contested third-place playoff match to claim bronze medal.

AVC and Philippine National Volleyball Federation President Mr Ramon Suzara presided over the awards presentation and closing ceremony at the Nuvali Sand Courts on Saturday evening. Also in attendance were PNVF Secretary General Mr Donaldo Caringal, Mr Richard Palou, Premier Volleyball League (PVL) President and PNVF Vice President, and Mr Tony Boy Liao, Member of the PNVF Executive Board and PVL Chairman.

RESULTS

MEN

WOMEN

FINAL RANKINGS

MEN

WOMEN

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