By CHRISTAN SALVAÑA
Almost two months after making history together on the sand, Bernadeth Pons and Sisi Rondina found themselves on opposite sides of the net as Creamline took down Choco Mucho, 27-25, 17-25, 25-21, 25-15, at the jam-packed Mall of Asia Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
The match served as the first meeting between the two since they led Alas Pilipinas to a historic gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games, ending Thailand’s long-standing dominance in beach volleyball.
For Pons, the transition to the regular volleyball floor surface meant facing a familiar, high-level opposition.
“After ng beach, alam namin na babalik kaming indoors, and maglalaban kami. Challenge lang din kasi ‘yun nga sobrang competitive niya rin talaga, and sobrang ganda niya kalaro,” said Pons.
The 29-year-old outside hitter proved her indoor form is just as lethal as her play on the sand, delivering an all-around brilliance with 19 points, 18 receptions, and 13 digs.
Complementing her was Jeanette Panaga with 12 points, while Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza added 11 apiece.
The victory did not come without a struggle, as Choco Mucho’s Eya Laure and Rondina kept the Flying Titans within striking distance.
Laure, who exited midway through the last set with an injury, matched Pons with 19 points, while Rondina chipped in 15.
Despite the win, the “work in progress” narrative remains for the perennial contenders, who are still finding their way after the return of multiple players.
Head coach Sherwin Meneses stated that the result was a necessary step toward regaining their championship form following an opening-day loss to PLDT.
“Masaya kami at nakakuha kami ng unang panalo this conference. Hopefully magtuloy-tuloy na makuha namin ‘yung rhythm namin,” said Meneses.
Jia De Guzman, playing her first game at the MOA Arena since 2023, emphasized that the roster is still finding its collective rhythm.
“Individually, we are very skilled, it’s how we put it together na maging cohesive siya. I think ‘yun ‘yung tinatry namin na alamin talaga ngayon. Trinabaho talaga namin ‘yun this week coming into this game,” said De Guzman.
Creamline looks to continue its momentum against Zus Coffee next Tuesday, Feb. 17, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
