Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons, the country’s best medal hopes in the Southeast Asian Games, opened their campaign with a 21-10, 22-20 win over Mer Jauculan and Gen Eslapor of University of Santo Tomas in the 2019 Rebisco Beach Volleyball International Open at the Sands SM By The Bay yesterday.
After a dominant opening set showing, Rondina and Pons encountered a rough patch as Jauculan and Eslapor put up a gallant stand, tying the count at 20-all.
Rondina, however, rose to the occasion in the next play, coming through with a thunderous kill before sealing the win following an Esplapor error.
The other Philippine team for the SEA Games, Dij Rodriguez and Dzi Gervacio made short work of DM Demontaño and Jackie Estoquia of Sta. Lucia, 21-7, 21-9.
Expect the pairs of Rondina and Pons, and Rodriguez and Gervacio to be tested against a tough international field in the three-day double-gender tournament presented by Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc., in cooperation with Beach Volleyball Republic.
In the men’s division, Edmar Bonono and Jude Garcia, the Philippines’ top team to the SEA Games, scored a 21-16, 21-15 win over Palau’s Edson Kaweo Ngiraiwet and Sakiusa Vaka Naivana.
The other country’s bet to the biennial meet, James Buytrago and Krung Arbasto, improved to 2-0 in pool play following a 21-17, 21-11 victory over Cignal’s Pemie Bagalay and Pol Salvador. Buytrago and Arbasto opened its campaign with a over Hong Kong 3’s Ku Hin Ting and Yiu Ming Kam, 21-7, 21-13.
