Rondina-Pons duo return to sand for Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour bid

MANILA, Philippines — Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons officially make their comeback to the national beach volleyball team as the country hosts the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour (BPT) Futures Nuvali starting on Thursday, May 1, in the City of Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Gold medalists in the BPT Future Subic Bay in 2022 who went on to become rivals on the domestic indoor professional league, “SiPons” reunites with sights set on the Southeast Asian Games gold after twice earning bronze in the regional meet.

They begin battle at the world-class Nuvali Sand Courts on Thursday along with four other Alas Pilipinas women’s pairs and four men’s tandems in the event featuring teams from 19 countries, including the United States, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Italy.

Focus will also be on young stars Khylem Progella and Sofia Pagara of the University of Santo Tomas, players who have proven their worth outside the collegiate arena with solid performances in recent international events, as they vie for honors in the tough tournament, which also has teams from Czechia, Greece, Lithuania, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Vanuatu and Japan.

Sunnie Kalani Villapando, who played for Stanford and University of Southern California in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and now among the players looking to compete for the Philippines in the SEA Games, again teams up with Jen Gaviola of the Coast Guard after a promising stint last month in the Songkhla Futures in Thailand where they split their matches.

“We’re going to be competing, training, getting our mind right for the SEA Games,” Villapando said. “This is mental preparation.”

University Athletic Association of the Philippines champions Honey Grace Cordero and Kat Epa of National University are also seeing action, while Alexa Polidario teams up with Dij Rodriguez in the tournament organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation led by its president Ramon “Tats” Suzara, also chief of the Asian Volleyball Confederation and executive vice president of the world volleyball governing body FIVB.

Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures silver medalists again lead the Alas Pilipinas roster in the men’s division.

Jude Garcia and Jaron Requinton, members of the four-man Philippine team that bagged bronze in the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, also team up again for flag and country.

Lerry John Francisco again plays with Edwin Tolentino, while the Ronniel Rosales-Alex Iraya tandem has been retained.

Men’s world No. 88. Eylon Elazar and Kevin Cuzmiciovof Israel eye another title after ruling the BPT Futures Songkhla in Thailand last month.