MANILA – Philippine Army’s Jovelyn Gonzaga and Nerissa Bautista stamped their class in the 2nd Linggo ng Sindangan Open Women Invitational Beach Volleyball Championship held recently in Sindagan, Zamboanga del Norte.
Guimaras native Gonzaga and Iloilo City’s Bautista banked on their wide experience to defeat BabyLove Barbon and Merry Rose Jauculan of LGU Naawan in the gold medal match.
“I’m about to burst with song. I can’t keep quiet about you. God, my God, I can’t thank you enough,” Gonzaga wrote in her Instagram account following the championship.
Gonzaga and Bautista’s Sindagan victory came five years after capturing the championship of the Philippine Superliga beach volleyball competition.
Gonzaga, a former Central Philippine University standout, is being considered as one of the faces of Philippine beach volleyball having led the country in several international competitions.
She carried the country in the beach volleyball tournament in the 26th Southeast Asian Games in 2011, where she teamed up with fellow Ilongga Aiza Maizo-Pontillas.
Recently, Gonzaga tried out for a spot in the national women’s beach volleyball team but was not shortlisted due to her commitment as a member of the Philippine Army.
Bautista, for her part, also had her success in the sandcourt even in her hometown and in some beach volleyball leagues in Metro Manila.
Both Gonzaga and Bautista were also teammates in the indoor volleyball with the Black Mamba-Army Lady Troopers, which recently competed in Premier Volleyball League.
Meanwhile, Judith Abil and Gerzel Petallo of Iligan Medical Center College finished at third place, while Kresca Coscod and Sheila Balos of LGU Mahayag ended up at fourth spot./PN
