By REY C. LACHICA
SUBIC — Sisi Rondina and first-time partner Jovelyn Gonzaga continued to dazzle while young guns Genesa Jane Eslapor and Floremel Rodriguez turned out to be a big revelation in the Volleyball World Beach pro Tour Futures at the Subic Bay Sand Court Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Subic Bay Sand Court here.
Both teams advanced to the semis at the expense of their Japanese rivals, feats considered to be the biggest so far by a PH team in the history of Philippine beach volleyball.
With Gonzaga making delicate shots from time to time and Rondina coming through the booming spikes, the Filipina pair pulled off a nerve-wracking 18-21, 21-12,15-7 victory over the fancied duo of Ericka Habahuchi and Saki Maruyama.
Not to be left out were Eslapor and Rodriguez who stunned Ren Matsumoto and Non Matsumoto, 21-16, 21-18.
Both Rondina and Gonzaga were both proud and ecstatic for reaching the Final Four of an elite tournament, same thing for Eslapor and Rodriguez.
To the cheers of a small but highly-appreciative crowd, Rondina and Gonzaga shrugged off a first-set hiccup with a dominant performance in the second set, coming through with great saves and piling up points through placement and drop shots.
“I was really motivated and inspired by Sisi [Rondina] in the second set after struggling in the first set. She gave me confidence and she trusted me so I stepped up and finally made some key plays,” the 31-year-old Gonzaga said
Their smart plays oftentimes caught the Japanese shaking their heads in utter disappointment, while the spectators were fully entertained.
Their inspiring performance was expected, though.
In the opening day of the knockout stage on Friday, they eked out a pair of impressive wins over Czech Republic’s Valerie Dvornikova and Anna Pospisilova, 21-14, 21-16, and Canada’s Darby Dunn and Olivia Grace Furlan, 21-19, 21-18.
Gonzaga and Rondina, however, need to play extraordinarily in the semis as they are pitted against Israeli pair of Yahli Ashush and Anita Dave.
Eslapor and Rodriguez, on the other hand, will face another Japanese team in Miyu Sakamoto and Mayu Sawame in the event organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation.
