Cebu’s Khylem Progella, partner win Korea beach volleyball gold
CEBU CITY, Philippines — From playing volleyball on the courts of Labangon in Cebu City to standing on an international podium in South Korea, Khylem “Khy” Progella is rapidly making a name for herself as one of the Philippines’ brightest young beach volleyball players.
The Cebuana, together with University of Santo Tomas teammate Sofiah Pagara of Misamis Oriental, made history at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Busan, South Korea, completing an unbeaten run from the qualification round to capture the gold medal.
The young Filipino tandem capped their remarkable seven-match campaign. It became more significant for Progella after she defeated Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) gold medalist and fellow Cebuana Sisi Rondina who tandemed with Bernadeth Pons. They staged a massive upset beating the heavily-favored and storied tandem of Rondina and Pons who are well-known as “SiPons” in local volleyball scene. They beat the SiPons tandem, 21-18 and 21-13 straight sets in the all-Filipino championship match.
The outcome gave the Philippines a historic 1-2 finish and marked a major breakthrough for Progella on the international stage.
Labangon yesterday, the world today
For the 20-year-old Progella, however, the Busan triumph is the latest chapter in a volleyball journey that began years earlier in Labangon. She started playing the sport in Grade 2 at Labangon Elementary School before developing her skills with Cebu schools Southwestern University and the University of Southern Philippines Foundation. Her talent eventually took her to Manila, where she became a key player for UST’s beach volleyball program.
Progella quickly established herself as a force in the UAAP. She helped UST win successive girls’ high school beach volleyball championships, including the Season 85 crown and earned her the Season 85 Most Valuable Player award. The championship was her second with UST after the team previously defeated Adamson to claim the title.
Her rise continued beyond the UAAP. Progella and Pagara have become one of the country’s most promising young beach volleyball tandems, winning various titles including the BVR on Tour and the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Beach Volleyball tilts through the years.
Their breakthrough in Busan, though, was on another level.
Sweep of pool
Coming through the qualifiers, Pagara and Progella swept pool play before beating Japan’s Paurine Emiri Oto and Takemi Nishibori, 21-12, 21-13, in the quarterfinals. They then rallied past another Japanese pair, Mayu Sawame and Wakana Akishige, 17-21, 21-13, 15-11, in the semifinals to earn a place in the championship match.
Standing across the net in the final were two of the Philippines’ most accomplished beach volleyball players, Rondina and Pons. The veterans had reached the final after defeating Australia’s Jana Milutinovic and Jazz Rayner, 23-21, 21-19, but the younger Filipinas proved too strong in the title match.
The victory was significant not only because it gave Pagara and Progella their first Beach Pro Tour gold, but because it showed that Philippine women’s beach volleyball now has depth beyond its established stars.
Rondina, a native of Compostela, Cebu, is arguably the country’s most decorated beach volleyball player, with six BVR on Tour titles, while Pons has won three, all with Rondina. The veteran tandem also helped the Philippines secure a historic women’s beach volleyball gold medal at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
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