Nearly two years ago, two-time Southeast Asian Games beach volleyball bronze medalist Bernadeth Pons took a leap of faith — trading the scorching sands for the Taraflex — as she joined Creamline in the Premier Volleyball League.
That bold decision proved to be more than worth it. The FEU volleyball icon quickly found her footing indoors, winning four championships with the Cool Smashers, including the 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference title.
She then became a vital piece in Creamline’s historic Grand Slam run in 2024, capturing the All-Filipino, Reinforced, and Invitational Conference titles.
Having proven her mettle on the Taraflex, Pons is now set to return to familiar ground — beach volleyball.
She will reunite the beloved SiPons tandem for the highly anticipated 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, along with other upcoming international beach tournaments.
Before that, however, Pons feels determined to make her mark one last time with Creamline, this time on the international stage. She’s currently competing in her first-ever international indoor volleyball tournament — the 2025 AVC Women’s Club Championship — as part of Creamline’s redemption journey.
(C) PVL Images
“Sobrang grateful ako kasi ito ‘yung first ko na mag-represent ng country sa indoor. And siyempre kasama ko pa ‘yung Creamline team, so sobrang ine-enjoy ko lang talaga ‘yung opportunity and ‘yung moment na maglaro ngayon,” Pons shared after Creamline’s straight-sets loss to nine-time Kazakhstan Women’s Volleyball League champion Zhetysu VC on Monday evening at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
If there’s one lesson she’ll carry back to the beach, it’s the courage and camaraderie instilled in her by Creamline — qualities that helped her thrive in a star-studded lineup that includes the likes of Alyssa Valdez, Michele Gumabao, and Jema Galanza.
That same mindset allowed Pons to rise through the ranks and eventually earn multiple individual accolades, including a breakthrough MVP and Finals MVP performance in the 2024 Reinforced Conference, as well as the Best Outside Hitter award in the recently concluded All-Filipino Conference.
“Siguro kasi siyempre international ito, international din ‘yung mga kalaban. Siguro kahit sino talaga ‘yung kaharap mo — malaki man sila, maliit man sila — same lang naman kami ng game: volleyball,” Pons said.
“Pare-parehas naman kami nagta-training, so dapat ano lang din talaga, magpakita ka ng tapang lang palagi kahit sino ‘yung kaharap mo.”
#WATCH: Creamline head coach Sherwin Meneses, Anastasya Kudryashova, and Bernadeth Pons reflect on their first loss in the #AVCChampionsLeague
@ErnestTuazon /Tiebreaker Times#PVL2025 pic.twitter.com/1uQdVjcYse
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) April 21, 2025
