MANILA – Negrenses Jayrack De la Noche and Alexander Iraya pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships in Phuket, Thailand.
The Philippine pair rallied from a set down to beat Estonia’s Karmo Saviauk and Kaur Erik Kais, 16-21, 21-15, 15-12, to close out the pool rounds on Thursday.
After two tough losses, De la Noche and Iraya showed steely resolve in beating Saviauk and Kais to give the country its first-ever win in any world championship-level beach volleyball competition.
The Philippines had a chance to secure a spot in the Round of 24 after Australia’s Jack Pearse and Lucas Josefsen outlasted Thailand’s Narakorn Chumaphai and Veerayut Sopati, 17-21, 21-17, 15-7.
De la Noche and Iraya were actually tied with the Thais with a 1-2 win-loss record and were also level in points with four, but Narakorn and Veerayut clinched the third and last round-of-24 slot in Pool H by virtue of superior set ratio—4-4 to 2-5.
Estonia’s and Erik Kais joined Australia in the knockout stage.
The Negrense beach volleybelles were very much in the game in the second set before losing to Narakorn and Veerayut, 15-21, 19-21, on Tuesday.
They also put up a gallant stand in the opening set before dropping a 20-22, 9-21 decision to Pearse and Josefsen.
De la Noche and Iraya will try to bounce back in the FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championships this Dec. 14 to 19 also in Phuket.
Currently ranked No. 351 in the world, the duo made a historic run to the quarterfinals of the Fourth Asian U21 Championships in Nakhon Pathom in July./PN
