SiPons stumble against Kazakhstan, await opponent in knockout rounds

For Sisi Rondina and the Alas Pilipinas women’s beach volleyball team, the loss to Kazakhstan in Pool E was a missed opportunity.

Alas dropped the opening set, 21-17, but bounced back dominantly to level the playing field with a 21-10 win in the second. Kazakhstan however held on in the deciding set, to take the match at the final score of 15-10.

“We missed the opportunity, ’yan lang masasabi ko. Sayang pero brighter side pa rin kami,” Rondina said.

Despite the setback, Rondina stressed that the team remains hopeful knowing there is still a long way to go in the competition.

“Positive pa rin kami sa mga upcoming days and games namin. Nakakalungkot but at the same time nakaka-excite kung ano pa yung susunod na mangyari,” she said. “We need to prepare for the next games. Ang haba pa ng liga.”

The focus now is on recovery, making adjustments and cleaning up their execution before their next match on Sept. 28. Their opponent will be determined on Sept. 27, after all the matches have been completed.

“Kailangan namin aralin and maging maayos pa sa mga galaw namin. And babawi!!! Kahit anong mangyari. Rest and recover and banat ulit!!!”