By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Negrense Bernadeth Pons and Cherry Ann Rondina are returning to the Alas Pilipinas national women’s beach volleyball team to begin preparations for the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand later this year.

Pons, who played for the Creamline Cool Smashers, and Rondina, who suited up for the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, are shifting their focus back to beach volleyball following their campaigns in the PVL 2nd All-Filipino Conference.

“Kasi personally talaga, medyo disappointed kami sa result namin nung SEA Games, kasi nga coming from bronze tapos biglang wala kaming place nung last na SEA Games,” Pons said.

“So parang doon pa lang talaga, gusto na namin talaga na bumawi sa darating na SEA Games. ‘Yun ‘yung [reason kung] bakit gusto pa naming ulit maglaro,” the former Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws standout added.

Pons and Rondina previously delivered two bronze medal finishes for the Philippines in beach volleyball at the 2019 and 2022 SEA Games.

“Syempre, sobrang happy and sobrang excited. Parang medyo matagal din eh kasi nung last na SEA Games. Hindi rin kami ‘yung partner and ‘yun bumalik kami ng indoor. So excited ako sa pagbabalik namin,” Pons said.

“Hindi naman kami bibiglain ng coaching staff. Napag-usapan naman na kailangan munang mag-transition kasi medyo matagal din na galing kami from indoor, so hindi siya ganon kadali. May mga transition phase muna bago doon dumating sa medyo bakbakan,” she added./ASC, WDJ