ALAS Pilipinas Women Beach etched their names in history on the sands of Pattaya, delivering the country’s first-ever beach volleyball gold medal in the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on Friday at Jomtien Beach.
For the first time in eight editions since beach volleyball was introduced in 2003, Thailand relinquished the gold medal, handing the Philippines its first SEA Games volleyball title, indoor or beach, in 32 years since the women’s indoor team last struck gold in 1993, also at Thailand’s expense.
Veteran duo Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons completed a measure of redemption by overturning their preliminary-round loss, this time sweeping Thailand’s Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee and Taravadee Naraphornrapat, 21-17, 21-15, in the first game of the finals.
Putting the golden finish on an unprecedented Philippine campaign was the tandem of Dij Rodriguez and Sunny Villapando, who ousted the other Thai pair of Tanarattha Udomchavee and Rumpaipruet Numvong in straight sets, 21–13, 17-21, 15-6.
Rondina, Pons and Rodriguez are now three-time SEA Games medalists, having won back-to-back bronze medals in 2019 and 2021, while national team newcomer Villapando struck gold straight away on her first try.
Golden one-two punch
In the opening set, Rondina powered the Nationals to a commanding seven-point cushion at 17–10 before Thailand’s top pair mounted a late response with a 7–3 surge to trim the deficit to 20–17.
A costly Thai service error ultimately sealed the first frame in favor of the ‘SiPons’ tandem.
The Thais opened the second set with three straight aces, but quickly lost their footing as Rondina and Pons answered with relentless aggression on both ends.
The Filipina duo broke away with a decisive five-point run from a tight 13–12 count, cruising to the finish and handing the reigning champions their first loss of the tournament.
A game of runs unfolded with the gold medal at stake as the Rodriguez–Villapando tandem stepped onto the sands.
Back-to-back four-point bursts in the opening set gave the Philippines early separation, before a decisive 5–2 set-clinching run, capped by a Rodriguez attack, put the Nationals on the brink of glory.
Thailand’s second pair came out sharper in the second set, building a 12–7 cushion that briefly unraveled when the Philippines surged ahead, 13–12.
The hosts quickly regained control with a 9–4 run to force a deciding third-set tiebreak.
Determined not to let the opportunity slip, Rodriguez and Villapando stormed to a commanding 10–4 start in the race to 15.
From there, Lady Luck smiled on the Nationals as they claimed five of the final six points, punctuated by Villapando’s deft right-side tap that sealed a historic breakthrough for Philippine volleyball.
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