MANILA — With the Southeast Asian Games just weeks away, Cherry Rondina and Bernadeth Pons delivered a performance that signaled they are entering the regional stage in peak form, blasting through the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Beach Volleyball Invitational to claim the women’s crown in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
The Alas Pilipinas mainstays shook off a sluggish start before overpowering Sunny Villapando and Dij Rodriguez, 11-21, 21-15, 15-6, in an all-national team final at the Nuvali Sand Courts.
The win not only secured back-to-back PNVF titles—after ruling the Beach Volleyball National Open in May—but also reinforced their status as the Philippines’ top medal hopes in Bangkok.
Rondina and Pons swept Pool A and stayed untouchable in the knockout rounds, dispatching UST’s Cameron Villaruz and Negrense Lorien Gamboa in the quarterfinals, then outclassing teammates Alexa Polidario and Jenny Gaviola in the semis.
In the men’s bracket, the dominance was even more emphatic. Ranran Abdilla and James Buytrago completed a flawless tournament, hammering Ronniel Rosales and Rancel Varga, 21-12, 21-10, in the final. The pair did not drop a single set all weekend, having rolled past UST’s Smaela Salon and Alijhan Apdian in the quarterfinals and Aldwin Gupiteo and Lance Malinao in the semifinals.
Bronze medals went to Orillaneda and Gen Eslapor in the women’s division after a 21-17, 21-12 triumph over Polidario and Gaviola, while Gupiteo and Malinao survived Tolentino and Francisco, 19-21, 21-19, 18-16, to finish third among the men.
The PNVF Invitational served as a key tune-up for the national squads heading to the 33rd SEA Games from December 12 to 19 at the Huamark Sports Complex in Bangkok. The women’s lineup features Rondina–Pons and Villapando–Rodriguez, while the men will be represented by Buytrago–Abdilla and Rosales–Varga.
The Philippines has won six bronze medals in beach volleyball since the discipline debuted in the SEA Games in 2003./PN
