SISI RONDINA and Bernadeth Pons are bound to face Olympians in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Nuvali Challenge at the Nuvali Sands Courts in the City of Santa Rosa.
Rondina and Pons, who made history for the country after leading Alas Pilipinas to a historic gold medal in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok last December, are eager to gain points and experience in the prestigious tournament.
‘Actually, it’s really exciting. Personally, I’m excited about the challenge because there are so many Olympians here,’ Rondina said. ‘You already know that Pons and I are the type of players who always grab opportunities whenever they come. That’s why we’re really preparing and mentally ready because we know this will be a very tough competition.’
‘What we showed in the SEA Games won’t be enough here,’ she said. ‘We’ll need to give double or even triple the effort because the level of players here is completely different. Our goal is to keep up with them and deliver consistent performances.’
The seasoned tandem plunge into the main draw on Thursday against still to be determined opponents in the competition supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee.
Top-seeded Americans Corinne Quiggle and Chloe Loreen eye their second Beach Pro Tour medal in the fifth Challenge stop of the event, while Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist Taliqua Clancy and Jana Milutinovic and partner Stefanie Fejes from Australia, are also competing.
Paris 2024 Olympians Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte of Lithuania, American winners Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig, French Olympians Lezana Placette and Alexia Richard, and defending Nuvali Challenge champions Anniina Parkkinen and Valma Prihti of Finland are also seeing action.
Ranran Abdilla and Ronniel Rosales will compete in the men’s main draw, where Chase Budinger, a former Natioal Basketball Association player turned beach volleyball player, will see action with his partner Trevor Crabb in the City of Santa Rosa’s hosting, also backed by Medical City South Luzon and Jersey Haven.
Sofiah Pagara and Khylem Progella, meanwhile, advanced to the final round of the qualifier after surviving Germany’s Mareet Maidhof and Tabea Schwarz, 21-19, 28-26.
Pagara and Progella battle for a main draw entry against Hungary’s Lilla Villam and Stefania Kun, who took down China’s Tong Yu and Jiaying Wang, 21-19, 21-23, 15-10.
Sunny Villapando and Gen Eslapor weren’t as lucky after falling prey to the Canadian pair of Amy Ozee and Marie-Alex Belanger in the qualifiers, 21-14, 21-14.
Dij Rodriguez and Kly Orillaneda were eliminated as well by France’s Marine Kinna and Anouk Dupin, 21-16, 21-11, while Alex Polidario and Jenny Gaviola yielded to China’s Jiang Kaiyue and Jie Dong, 21-17, 21-11.