Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons gave the Philippines a historic breakthrough, sweeping Slovenia’s Živa Javornik and Tajda Lovšin, 21-19, 21-9, in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge on Friday morning at Nuvali Sands Court in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
The victory marked the country’s first-ever win at the Challenge level of the Beach Pro Tour series.
‘We’re very grateful to win our first match in the Challenge level and we hope to sustain our run to advance further,’ said Rondina, who previously captured a Futures title with Jovelyn Gonzaga in 2022.
The FIVB’s Beach Pro Tour has five levels: Futures, Challenge, Elite 16, Finals, and the World Championships.
Rondina and Pons, who also beat the same Slovenian duo in a Budapest Futures event last month, advanced to the round of 24 for a shot at a round-of-16 berth against Switzerland’s Annique Niederhauser and Bentele later Friday.
‘We just have to believe that we can compete, and winning here for the first time has boosted our confidence,’ said Pons.
‘It’s a great privilege that our athletes are able to play and win at this level,’ added Alas Pilipinas head coach Joao ‘Kioday’ Simao Barbosa. ‘It shows we’re on the right path and need more exposure to events like this.’
Meanwhile, Kly Orillaneda and Gen Eslapor bowed to the United States’ Teegan Van Gunst and Piper Ferch, 19-21, 11-21, while Sonny Villapando and Dij Rodriguez fell to Japan’s Sakura Ito and Mayu Sawame, 18-21, 25-27.
The tournament runs until Sunday.