Rondina, Pons to represent PH in SEA Games beach volleyball

April 18 ------ SISI Rondina and Bernadeth Pons will step back from indoor volleyball action to return to where it all began for the heralded duo the sands. The renowned ‘SiPons’ pairing will represent Alas Pilipinas in women’s beach volleyball in the 33rd Southeast (SEA) Asian Games in Thailand in December. 

This is why Rondina, an Alas mainstay in last year's bronze-medal hat-trick in AVC competitions, and Pons were omitted from the indoor national team's 33-woman wishlist, as their beach volleyball return was already in the works for months now. After a two-year stint in the PVL, Rondina shared how the decision to go back to her beach volleyball roots was built on a promise she once made to Pons to restore lost glory in the sands. “Focus muna kami sa beach volley kasi wala na talagang players. Well, ‘di naman sa wala nang players, pero para makapag-prepare din kasi magandang [opportunity] yung SEA Games,” Rondina told SPIN.ph. “Mahabang time na preparation, mas okay. Ibabalik pa namin yung rhythm namin, lalong-lalo na kami ni Pons. “Kami, ako, ready ako, I’m super excited to be back sa beach volley talaga kasi 2023, nag-promise na ako kina Pons na let’s get a podium again kasi siyempre du’n kami nawala nu’ng 2023. Sana makuha namin and siyempre, trabaho ulit.” she added. 

Rondina’s decorated UAAP career with University of Santo Tomas began in the sands before it culminated in indoor play. She was once a four-time collegiate beach volleyball champion and MVP for the Golden Tigresses before taking her high-flying act to the international stage — with Pons for the most part. ‘SiPons’ won bronze in the regional meet in two consecutive editions back in 2019 (Philippines) and 2021 (Vietnam; staged in 2022 due to the pandemic). 

The former had now-Creamline player Dij Rodriguez and Dzi Gervacio as their competing compatriots, while the latter also featured Rodriguez and ZUS Coffee’s Jovelyn Gonzaga. But in the 2023 edition in Cambodia, a historic hat-trick of podium finishes wasn’t to be, as Rondina and Pons — playing with different partners in Gonzaga and Rodriguez, respectively — missed out on semis play after both failing to make it out of the group stage. 

That heartbreak will be where Pons’ personal redemption-seeking pursuit will be bent on come December. “Medyo disappointed kami sa result namin nung SEA Games kasi nga coming from bronze tapos biglang wala kaming place nung last na SEA Games. Du’n pa lang talaga, gusto na namin talaga na bumawi sa darating na SEA Games, so yun yung [dahilan kung] bakit gusto pa namin ulit maglaro,” said Pons. “Sobrang happy and sobrang excited na rin kasi parang medyo matagal na rin eh. Nu’ng last na SEA Games, hindi rin kami yung partner and bumalik kami ng indoor so excited ako sa pagbabalik namin [sa beach volleyball] […] May mga transition phase muna bago doon dumating sa medyo bakbakan. After this conference mag-start na rin kami ng training sa beach kasi marami rin kasing mga tournament na gusto ng coach namin na masalihan namin bago yung SEA Games.” she added. 

Their two-year PVL stints saw ‘SiPons’ won MVP nods, top outside hitter awards and a handful of championships for Pons as a Cool Smasher. But as the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference comes to an end, with Pons taking home silver with Creamline and Rondina dropping to fourth with Choco Mucho, all eyes are on one common goal for ‘SiPons’ back in their original stomping grounds — the gold. 

Source: spin.ph