Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons finally broke through against Indonesia, leading Alas Pilipinas women's beach volleyball team to a hard-earned opening win in the SEA Games.
Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons finally cleared a long-standing hurdle as they bagged an opening-day win in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
Alas Pilipinas Women’s Beach opened its campaign with a hard-earned 2–1 victory over Indonesia at Jomtien Beach.
This marked the Philippines’ first win over the Indonesians in five SEA Games appearances, giving the reunited “Sipons” tandem an emotional and meaningful breakthrough.
“Siyempre, sobrang grateful na nakakuha po kami ngayon ng unang panalo. Sobrang hirap din talaga kalaro ‘yung Indonesia,” Rondina said after the match.
“Like, knowing Indonesia, sobrang palaban sila and never pa 'yan namin natalo sa apat na taon na naglalaro sa SEA Games. So ito ‘yung pinaka-unang panalo namin against Indonesia.”
Emotional victory
Rondina and Pons sealed the win in a dramatic golden match, outlasting Desi Ratnasari and Sari Nur, 15–21, 21–16, 18–16, after the tie was pushed to a decider.
The Filipina pair had earlier beaten the same Indonesian duo in three sets before Alas Women Beach was forced into the golden match when Floremel Rodriguez and Sunnie Villapando fell to Indonesia’s second team.
[ALSO READ: Rondina, Pons headline Alas Pilipinas beach volleyball roster for SEA Games medal push]
For Pons, the victory came with a rush of emotions, especially after years of close calls against Indonesia.
“Sobrang mixed emotions talaga kasi ang hirap. Hindi naging madali ‘yung laban namin,” she said. “Talagang pahirapan every puntos, so sobrang happy lang din na nakuha namin ‘yung panalo na ito.”
Keeping their focus
But even after their win, Rondina stressed that the team’s bigger goal goes beyond a single win.
“Sabi ko nga palagi kong nire-remind sila na we're aiming for consistency kasi [kapag] consistent kami palagi, ‘yung podium na sinasabi natin lalabas at lalabas naman 'yan,” she said.
“One game at a time and every game is a championship game for us.”
The SiPons reunion — bronze medalists in the 2019 and 2021 SEA Games — has renewed hopes for a return to the podium after a disappointing 2023 campaign in Cambodia, where they played with different partners and exited early.
With six teams competing in the women’s beach volleyball tournament, only the top two advance to the gold medal match.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.