Hours before Alas Women’s five-set defeat to Australia in the 2026 AVC Women’s Cup in Candon, Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons gave a good fight but ultimately fell to the experience of another Australian team in Pingtung.
The Philippine beach volleyball tandem settled for a silver medal in the 2026 AVC Beach Pro Tour Pingtung Open after bowing to Australia’s Taliqua Clancy and Stefanie Fejes, 19-21, 12-21, in the women’s final on Sunday.
Rondina and Pons pushed the taller Australian pair to the limit in the opening set, threatening to force an extension after trimming the deficit to 19-20. However, a service error by Pons handed Clancy and Fejes the crucial final point of the frame.
The Australians then took full control in the second set, storming to a 7-1 lead and maintaining their dominance the rest of the way to secure the championship.
Despite the loss, Rondina and Pons completed a breakthrough campaign, becoming the first Philippine women’s beach volleyball pair to reach an AVC-level final.
The reigning Southeast Asian Games gold medalists won five consecutive matches en route to the title showdown.
They punched their ticket to the final after defeating familiar Thai rivals Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee and Taravadee Naraphonapat, 21-17, 26-24, in a tightly contested semifinal on Saturday.
Earlier, the Filipinas stunned Australia’s top-ranked duo of Jasmine Fleming and Elizabeth Alchin, 21-18, 33-31, in the quarterfinals.
Rondina and Pons also swept Pool F before eliminating Hong Kong’s Wong Man Ching and Tsang Ngok Ling, 21-10, 21-16, in the Round of 16 on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Philippines’ other two pairs saw their campaigns end in the Round of 16 despite topping their respective pools.
Sunny Villapando and Dij Rodriguez fell to New Zealand’s Grace Tiplady and Lani Rawle, 21-15, 21-18, while Khy Progella and Sofiah Pagara were outlasted by Japan’s Takemi Nishibori and Riko Tsujimura, 9-21, 27-25, 10-15.
