Rondina, Pons Fall to Denmark in Nuvali Beach Volleyball Opener

SANTA ROSA, Laguna — Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons fought valiantly but fell short against a taller, more experienced Danish duo in the opening match of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Nuvali Challenge on Thursday at Nuvali Sands Courts.

The Alas Pilipinas pair lost 19-21, 17-21 to Denmark’s Sofia Bisgaard and Cirkeline Hog in the Challenge Tour, despite a strong start in the first set, where they rallied to a 15-12 lead with four consecutive points.

However, Bisgaard and Hog regained control, taking the first set and carrying the momentum to sweep the hosts in the second frame.

“It was still a good game for us. I only had about three weeks of training and Pons had around two, but we managed to keep up,” said Rondina, who finished with 13 points. “Our opponents regularly compete in Elite 16 tournaments, so they’re very high-level. We gave our best, but they simply played better today.”

The loss sent Rondina and Pons to the losers’ bracket, where they were set to face Switzerland’s Annique Niederhauser and Menia Bentele—a rematch from last year’s Challenge round of 24, where the Swiss also came out on top.

“We’re focusing on the positives. We fought hard but came up short. We still need to fine-tune our partnership,” said Pons, who contributed 12 points. “Coach reminded us that our heart for the game is our biggest weapon. At this level, you can’t afford unforced errors because your opponents are highly experienced and constantly competing globally.”

In the men’s division, former NBA player Chase Budinger made an impressive debut with partner Trevor Crabb, sweeping Canada’s Luke de Greeff and Tynan Gannett, 21-9, 21-13. Budinger, who played in the NBA from 2009 to 2016 and won gold in the 2023 Haikou Challenge for Team USA, praised the tournament.

“It’s great to be back. The people are amazing, the accommodations are fantastic, and the event is well-run. Maybe I’d wish it was a bit cooler, but overall, everything’s excellent,” Budinger said. “This is our first tournament together, so we’re learning on the fly. It’s a great stepping stone ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.”

Other notable results included:

Ukraine’s Valentyna Davidova and Anhelina Khmil defeated Switzerland’s Niederhauser and Bentele, 20-22, 21-13, 15-11, setting up a clash with Bisgaard and Hog.

Paris 2024 Olympians Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte of Lithuania survived a tough three-set match against wildcard Canadians Marie-Alex Bélanger and Amy Ozee, 21-18, 20-22, 15-12.

Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Taliqua Clancy, paired with Stefanie Fejes, swept Ukraine’s Tetiana Lazarenko and Sofiia Kurnikova, 23-21, 21-12, in Pool B.

Men’s top seeds Eylon Elazar and Kevin Cuzmiciov of Israel opened their campaign with a 21-14, 21-15 victory over Denmark’s Kristoffer Abell and Christian Andersen.