SANTA ROSA, Laguna — Latvia’s Ardis Bedritis and Arturs Rinkevics flipped the switch to ‘survival mode’ in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Nuvali Challenge men’s division knockout stage on Saturday at the Nuvali Sands Courts here.
Bedritis and Rinkevics stunned the No. 2 seed American pair of former NBA player Chase Budinger and Trevor Crabb, 22-20, 21-18, to advance to the quarterfinal of this prestigious tournament organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) under the leadership of chairman Patrick Gregorio.
Under the punishing heat that reached 36 degrees Celsius (41 degrees heat index), Bedritis and Rinkevics got the better of the more experienced Americans, led by Budinger, a former tour champion and 2024 Paris Olympics campaigner.
Budinger committed two consecutive errors, followed by Bedritis’ off the block kill to reach match point, 20-17.
Crabb saved a point but Rinkevics found an open spot behind the USA tandem for the game-winning hit.
“In this heat, it’s just a survival game,” said Rinkevics, who had 17 points to backstop Bedritis’ 23.
“So, our main concern and goal was not to make mistakes. And if there’s a rally, try not to lose the point easily or make a mistake,” he added.
“So, we just try to keep the ball in play and try to play smart. They do have a good blocker and a good defensive player as well. But in this heat, we serve on the defender, and he has to run. It’s super hard. So, we tried to do that and it worked out.”
The Latvian pair started strong with a 10-5 lead in the opening set and stretched it to 16-12 before the Americans fought back to tie the frame at 20. Bedritis nailed a drop to reach the set point and eventually landed the set-clinching ace.
Bedritis and Rinkevics eye a Final Four berth against Australia’s Thomas Hodges and Ben Hood, who knocked out their comrades Joshua Howat and Luke Ryan, 21-13, 22-20, earlier, in the evening session of the Nuvali Challenge supported by the Philippine Olympic Committee, Rebisco, Akari, Ayala Land, and PLDT.
“To get as far as we can is our goal right now. Because right now we’re drained. This heat is just something else. Recover and then just enjoy volleyball and play our best game,” said Rinkevics.
Top seed Eylon Elazar and Kevin Cuzmiciov of Israel take on Switzerland’s Adrian Heidrich and Yves Haussener. Paul Pascaruic and Alexander Horst of Austria battle Julian Friedli and Jonathan Jordan of Sweden, while Germans Maximilian Just and Lui Wust and Phillip Huster and Sven Winter fight for the last semifinals berth.
Elazar and Cuzmiciov survived Indonesia’s Bintang Akbar and Sofyan Rachman Efendi in three sets, 21-15, 20-22, 15-5, while Pascaruic and Horst took down their comrades Julian Horl and Laurenc Grossig, 21-19, 19-21, 15-10.
Heidrich and Haussener eliminated Piotr Kantor and Filip Lejawa of Poland, 22-20, 21-13, while Friedli and Jordan outlasted Germans Jonas and Benedikt Sagstetter, 21-15, 13-21, 15-11.
Just and Wust beat Americans Timothy Brewster and Logan Webber, 21-13, 21-17, while Huster and Winter ousted Ukraine’s Anton Moiseiev and Vitalii Savvin, 21-17, 21-16.
Meanwhile, Davidova and Khmil booted out USA’s Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig, 21-11, 21-23, 15-13, in the women’s division of the Nuvali Challenge hosted by the City of Santa Rosa and backed by Medical City South Luzon and Jersey Haven.
Davidova and Khmil battle Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist Taliqua Clancy and partner Stefanie Fejes of Australia in the quarterfinals, as Durish and Koenig missed the podium for the first time in the Beach Pro Tour.
Paris 2024 Olympians Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte of Lithuania take on Ukraine’s Tetiana Lazarenko and Sofiia Kurnikova.
USA’s Anderson and Chacon and Puerto Rico’s Allanis Navas and Maria Claudia Gonzales clash for a Final Four ticket, while Nigella Negenman and Floor Hogenhout face Emi Van Driel and Mila Konink.
