By ADRIAN STEWART CO
Negrense Bernadeth Pons and Cherry Rondina rallied from a set down to defeat Sunny Villapando and Dij Rodriguez, 11-21, 21-15, 15-6, in an all-Alas Pilipinas women’s final to claim the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Beach Volleyball Invitational title organized by Beach Volleyball Republic at the Nuvali Sand Courts in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
The victory marked the second consecutive gold for the decorated tandem, which also ruled the PNVF Beach Volleyball National Open last May — beating the same Villapando-Rodriguez duo in the finals.
Rondina and Pons swept their two matches in Pool A, dominated University of Santo Tomas’ (UST) Cameron Villaruz and Negrense Lorien Gamboa in the quarterfinals, and ousted Alas teammates Negrense Alexa Polidario and Jenny Gaviola in the semifinals to reach the championship match.
In the men’s division, Ranran Abdilla and James Buytrago captured the title after a dominant 21-12, 21-10 win over fellow national team mainstays Ronniel Rosales and Rancel Varga, completing the tournament without dropping a set.
The pair topped Pool A and later defeated UST’s Smaela Salon and Alijhan Apdian in the quarterfinals, before dispatching Aldwin Gupiteo and Lance Malinao in the semifinals.
Alas 3’s Kly Orillaneda and Gen Eslapor secured third place in the women’s division with a 21-17, 21-12 win over Polidario and Gaviola.
Gupiteo and Malinao rounded out the men’s podium after edging Tolentino and Francisco, 19-21, 21-19, 18-16.
The two-day tournament served as part of the Alas Pilipinas beach volleyball squad’s buildup for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand next month.
The Philippines will field Rondina and Pons, and Rodriguez and Villapando in the women’s competition, while Buytrago and Abdilla as well as Rosales and Varga will compete in the men’s event.
Beach volleyball is scheduled from December 12 to 19 at the Huamark Sports Complex in Bangkok.
The country has so far collected six bronze medals — three each in the men’s and women’s divisions — since beach volleyball was added to the SEA Games roster in 2003./ASC, WDJ