CREAMLINE 1’s Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons completed a golden double in the bubble following a 21-13, 21-11 conquest of Creamline 2’s Dij Rodriguez and Dzi Gervacio in the Beach Volleyball Republic on Tour second leg on Sunday in Santa Ana, Cagayan.
Rondina and Pons went perfect in 13 matches since the first leg last weekend and won 19 consecutive games dating back to the 2019 Lianga leg where the prolific duo also emerged champion.
Krung Arbasto and Jude Garcia of Creamline 1 beat Tuguegarao’s James Pecaña and AJ Pareja, 21-17, 21-16, to also pull off a double in the men’s contest.
The championship capped a successful two-leg bubble which was BVR on Tour’s first tournament since September 2019. BVR founder Charo Soriano said the Santa Ana leg was all worth it.
It was Rondina’s fifth BVR crown, while Pons captured her third. The twin Santa Ana legs also served as a build-up for the national team standouts, led by Rondina and Pons for next month’s Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championship in Phuket, Thailand.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to play here,” Pons said. “Our goal remains and we would like to thank the Philippine National Volleyball Federation and the BVR for making it happen.”
Rondina and Pons withstood PLDT’s Ella and Iza Viray’s A-game in the first set before hammering out a 21-17, 21-12 semifinals victory to advance to the title match.
Rodriguez and Gervacio scraped past Sta. Lucia 1’s Jackie Estoquia and DM Demontaño, 21-13, 17-21, 18-16, in a 52-minute semifinal to arrange the championship duel with Rondina and Pons.
The Viray twins turned back Estoquia and Demontaño, 21-17, 21-19, to claim the bronze medal.
The title was seventh for Arbasto in the BVR, while Garcia captured his second straight crown, both in the bubble.
“We were focused on our goal. We didn’t preparely solely for this event, but for the Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championship in Thailand [next month] and the Southeast Asian Games next year,” said Garcia.