SANTA ROSA, Laguna — Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons saw their spirited stand come to a painful end after falling short against Switzerland’s Annique Niederhauser and Menia Bentele, 20-22, 22-24, to bow out of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Nuvali Challenge on Thursday at the Nuvali Sands Courts here.

Alas Pilipinas ended the modified pool play with a 0-2 record, finishing at the bottom of Group H.

After a late fightback in the opening set fell short, the Philippines carried that momentum into the second frame. The team raced to an early lead and eventually building a 19-16 advantage after Bentele committed a crucial service error.

However, Bentele and Niederhauser responded with a decisive 4-0 run to seize a 20-19 lead before surviving the extension to complete the hard-fought victory in the tournament organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission under the leadership of Patrick Gregorio.

Niederhauser scored off the block before Bentele delivered the finishing attack that punched Switzerland’s ticket to the Round of 24.

(C) PNVF

“I’m proud of the result. It’s just nice because Pons only trained with me for one and a half weeks, but we were able to keep up with them,” said Rondina after the loss.

“The level of competition in the Challenge is really different. So I’m very grateful to compete against volleyball players from around the world,” Pons added.

Bentele finished with 13 points for Switzerland, which also eliminated the Alas pair in last year’s Nuvali Challenge. Niederhauser added 12 markers in the win.

Rondina scored 12 points, while Pons was limited to six in their final game of the tournament powered by Rebisco, Akari, Ayala Land, and PLDT.

Earlier in the day, the Filipina duo absorbed a 19-21, 17-21 defeat to Denmark’s Sofia Bisgaard and Cirkeline Hog.

(C) PNVF

On the men’s side, Ronniel Rosales and Ranran Abdilla were forced to withdraw from their opening match against Team USA’s Hagen Smith and Ryan Ierna, dropping to 0-1 in the tournament hosted by the City of Santa Rosa and backed by The Medical City South Luzon and Jersey Haven.

Rosales was rushed for medical attention early in the second set after experiencing a sudden spike in blood pressure, with the Philippines trailing 2-3 at the time.

The match was subsequently halted, resulting in the Alas pair’s withdrawal and a 21-10, 3-2 victory for Team USA.

In other men’s division matches, Australia’s Thomas Hodges and Ben Hood rallied from a set down to defeat Latvia’s Ardis Bedtridis and Arturs Renkivics, 19-21, 21-19, 15-11, in Pool G.

Switzerland’s Adrian Heidrich and Yves Haussener followed with a straight-sets 21-14, 21-12 win over Great Britain’s Frederick Biakoloz and Issa Batrane in Pool H.

Meanwhile, Italy’s Alex Ranghieri and Manuel Alfieri survived a tight three-set battle against Germany’s Momme Lorenz and Tilo Rietschel, 21-16, 19-21, 17-15, also in Pool G.

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With none of the Alas Pilipinas Women players from the 33rd Southeast Asian Games committing to the 2026 AVC Women’s Cup, Strong Group Athletics has ramped up its support for the national team program.

A day after pledging the first two picks of ZUS Coffee and Farm Fresh in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League Draft to the national team pool, the Athletics also committed to reinforce the remaining Alas Women lineup with players from the Thunderbelles and the Foxies, as well as student-athletes from the University of Santo Tomas and the University of the Philippines, and NCAA schools Colegio de San Juan de Letran and College of Saint Benilde.

“In light of the reported shortage of players for the upcoming 2026 AVC Women’s Cup, Strong Group Athletics expresses its willingness to pool the best talents from its teams—both professional and collegiate—in support of the national team campaign in the AVC,” read the group’s statement.

“SGA is prepared to draw players from its professional squads, Zus Coffee and Farm Fresh, as well as its collegiate programs from UP, UST, Saint Benilde, and Letran, in response to the Philippine National Volleyball Federation’s call for players for the AVC. This is in addition to the 10 players who have earlier signified their intention to serve for Alas Pilipinas.”

Jia de Guzman led the withdrawal of players on Wednesday, before Angel Canino, Amie Provido, and Shevana Laput also followed suit on Thursday.

Unlike the SEA Games, tournaments such as the AVC Women’s Cup and the SEA V.League are important in improving the country’s rankings in the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball.

Making the development more unfortunate is the fact that the AVC Women’s Cup will be hosted in Candon City from June 6 to 14.

As such, collegiate players who will be selected will also be given perks, according to Strong Group.

“All collegiate players who will be selected for the national roster pool will be given the same compensation and benefits as PVL draftees, including win-game bonuses and practice allowances,” the statement said.

“As long as the player remains in the national pool, SGA will shoulder these commitments for both professional and collegiate athletes, with the goal of keeping the pool intact until the conclusion of the 2029 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship.”

Strong Group Athletics said it is making the move to continue supporting efforts to elevate Philippine volleyball on the world stage.

“We acknowledge the Herculean effort of the Philippine Sports Commission, led by Chairman Pato Gregorio, in bringing one of the premier volleyball tournaments in the world to the Philippines. We cannot let these efforts go to waste.

Furthermore, we recognize and thank the vital role of the MVP Group, led by Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, in spearheading this noble cause and in consistently putting country and flag above all else.”

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De La Salle University’s Angel Canino, Shevana Laput, and Amie Provido have all begged off from Alas Pilipinas duties, adding to the growing list of players who have opted to skip the upcoming 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup.

Canino announced the development through an Instagram story on Friday evening.

“To be invited to the National Team training pool is a privilege I never take for granted, and playing for the Philippine flag is the highest honor,” the Lady Spikers star said.

The 22-year-old outside hitter, who has been a mainstay of the national team over the past two years, said the demands of their recent title run in the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Volleyball Tournament were a major factor in their decision.

Canino said all three players will prioritize physical recovery for the meantime.

“However, coming off the high intensity of UAAP Season 88, Amie, Shevana, and I have decided to prioritize our physical recovery. We first need to let our bodies heal and reset so that we can give our best to the game,” she said.

Canino added that they have already informed the Philippine National Volleyball Federation of their decision.

“We’ve communicated this to the PNVF and while we won’t be on the court this time, our hearts are with the team as they compete in the AVC Women’s Cup.”

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