Bernadeth Pons and Sisi Ronda during the PNVF Beach Volleyball National Open at Nuvali Sand Courts in Santa Rosa, Laguna.–CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons still proved to be the queens of the sands as they ruled the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Beach Volleyball National Open with a five-game sweep.
Rondina and Pons, who had a two-year hiatus from the sport, completed a come-from-behind sweep of their Alas Pilipinas teammates, Sunny Villapando and Dij Rodriguez, 17-21, 21-16, 16-14, to capture the championship organized by Beach Volleyball Republic on Saturday night at Nuvali Sand Courts in City of Santa Rosa, Laguna.
READ: Rondina, Pons vow improvement after early exit in beach volley return
The pair, who won Southeast Asian Games beach volleyball bronze medals in 2019 and 2022, decided to return this year after emerging as MVPs in the PVL.
They hardly missed a beat as they won all five games and never conceded a set in the first four matches in the 12-team field
Rondina and Pons took down National University Nazareth School’s Faith Mangyao and Liezl Dejan, 21-11, 21-6, and University of the Philippines’ Euri Eslapor and Kassie Doering, 21-12, 21-15, in the pool stage.
The decorated duo also took down other Alas teammates in the playoffs, outlasting Jenny Gaviola and Alexa Polidario, 21-9, 21-12, in the quarterfinal and Sofiah Pagara and Khy Progella, 21-15, 21-19, in the semifinal.
Villapando and Rodriguez reached the Final after sweeping National University’s Kizil Doren Quijote and Honey Grace Cordero, 21-13, 21-11, in the Final Four before settling for a runner-up finish.
READ: Bernadeth Pons reunites with Sisi Rondina for beach volley return
Meanwhile, Spikers’ Turf MVP Jude Garcia ruled the men’s division with his first-time partner James Buytrago, completing a five-game sweep.
Garcia and Buytrago and Jude Garcia outlasted the pair of Alas teammates Ronniel Rosales and Rancel Varga after the pair conceded in the second set of the Final.
The Garcia-Buytrago pair dominated the opening set, 21-14, and brought the momentum with a 9-5 start in the second set. However, Rosales suffered muscle cramps and couldn’t continue the game.
They beat University of the Philippines’ Christian Pitogo and Angelo Lipata, 21-16, 21-11, and Intra Asian Volleyballista’s Krung Arbasto and Dominique Gabito, 21-15, 21-14, in pool play.
In the playoffs, Buytrago and Garcia defeated College of Saint Benilde’s Mark Jun Garcia and Alvin Sulayman, 21-14, 21-15, in the quarterfinal, and fellow Alas Ranran Abdilla and Edwin Tolentino, 21-15, 21-17, in the semis.
READ: Sisi Ronda returns to beach volleyball for 2025 SEA Games
Rosales and Varga survived NUNS’ Alex Cabatuan and Sky Gemarino, 21-17, 20-22, 15-13, in their thrilling Final Four duel before crashing out in the second set of the final.
Pagara and Progella secured the women’s bronze medal after turning back Quijote and Cordero, 21-16, 22-20, while Abdilla and Tolentino completed the podium finishers in the 15-team men’s side
The Alas stars, led by coach Joao Luciano Kioda, also conducted a beach volleyball workshop, teaching over 60 participants last Friday.
The Sandroot program aims to reinforce, train and develop talents and skills. Running since BVR’s inception in 2015, the Sandroots program has supported local aspiring beach volleyball players during the BVR on Tour events.