Rondina, Pons set to rejoin PVL teams

After making history together in beach volleyball, the tandem of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons will part ways to fulfill their obligations to their respective clubs in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference next month.

The “SiPons” tandem alongside Dij Rodriguez, Sunny Villapando and reserve Gene Eslapor returned to the Philippines triumphant after a breakthrough gold medal in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.

With the championship in the biennial meet secured, the two will exchange their beach volleyball two-piece suits for full indoor kits.

“I asked Sisi after we won the gold, ‘So you won’t be returning to indoor?’ She told me in jest, ‘I won’t be playing for Alas but for Choco Mucho.’ But I understand she’s under contract with Choco Mucho,” Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Tony Boy Liao said.

“The same goes for Pons with Creamline.”

The two are vital cogs in their respective teams and their absence severely affected their clubs’ tournament runs.

Without the explosive and high-scoring Rondina, Choco Mucho struggled to climb up the standings.

The Flying Titans finished 10th in the inaugural preseason PVL On Tour and failed to qualify in the Invitational. Choco Mucho failed to qualify in the Reinforced Conference playoffs and ended in ninth place.

“We all know that since Sisi took a leave, Choco Mucho’s game dipped,” Liao said.

It wasn’t pretty for the Cool Smashers either.

Without another scoring option and an extra hand on floor defense, Creamline settled for bronze in the On Tour and relinquished its Invitational crown following a third-place finish.

For the first time since joining the league in 2017, the Cool Smashers missed the podium and ended up in their worst finish in franchise history at sixth place.

“Pons will be back (for Creamline) since the Rebisco management only allowed both of them for the SEA Games,” added the PNVF chief and chairman of the PVL.

The AFC will begin on 30 January.