Alas Pilipinas stars Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons will headline the 13-team women’s field in the PNVF Beach Volleyball Invitational, set to start Saturday at Nuvali Sand Courts in Santa Rosa, Laguna. Organized by Beach Volleyball Republic, the two-day event serves as a buildup for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand next month.
Four Alas women’s teams will compete, including Alexa Polidario/Jenny Gaviola, Kly Orillaneda/Gen Eslapor, and Sunny Villapando/Dij Rodriguez. Rondina and Pons famously defeated Villapando and Rodriguez in a 17-21, 21-16, 16-14 all-Alas women final at last May’s PNVF Beach Volleyball National Open.
Other top women’s pairs include UST’s Sofiah Pagara/Khy Progella, Tiger Sands’ Cameron Villaruz/Lorie Gamboa and Cheng Dadang/Angelica Del Mar, NU’s Vilmarie Toos/Laiza Benigay, FEU’s Melody Pons/Lovely Lopez, La Salle’s Ela Raagas/Mica Buis, UP’s Jum Gayo/Kryssia Mae Omos, CSB’s Doreen Baguio/Shandara Baba, Cebu Spikers’ Liezl Dejan/Kizil Doren Quijote, and Beach Volleyball Manila’s Bea Tan/Euri Eslapor.
The men’s division will feature three Alas teams led by last year’s Air Force champions Ranran Abdilla/James Buytrago, as well as national team stalwarts Ronniel Rosales/Rancel Varga and Edwin Tolentino/Lerrie Francisco. Other men’s pairs include UST, Benilde, La Salle, UP, NU, and FEU representatives.
Pool play begins at 8 a.m., with semifinals at 10 a.m. Sunday and medal matches scheduled for 2 p.m.