THOMASIAN beach volleyball players representing the country missed their chance to secure Olympic slots in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Continental Cup Semi-finals held Friday in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
UST alumna Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons from FEU bowed to New Zealand’s Alice Zeimann and Shauna Marie Polley in the three-set golden match of the women’s semifinals, 21-19, 10-21, 12-15.
UAAP Season 82 MVP Baby Love Barbon and Dij Rodriguez also crashed out against the duo from New Zealand, 14-21, 13-21.
In men’s play, Tiger Sand Jaron Requinton and James Buytrago lost to Lebanese Jean Abi Chedid and Joe El Azzi, 19-21, 19-21.
Australia’s Maximilian Guehrer and Zachery Schubert outlasted Tiger Sands MVP Anthony Arbasto and Jude Garcia in the first set, 21-11, before the Philippine pair withdrew in the second set due to injury.
Prior to the match, Arbasto had severe cramping and was monitored by the medical team, according to a tweet from national beach volleyball coach Charo Soriano.
UST and national beach volleyball coach Paul Jan Doloiras said that the players needed more exposure to keep up with foreign contenders.
“Kailangan pa namin ma-expose para makasabay sa kanila. Kasi nakakadikit naman kami. Kung titignan mo ‘yung points natin sa points nila, napakalayo pero nakakadikit tayo. What more kung ma-expose kami, sana nakasabay kami,” he told the Varsitarian.
The duo of Rondina-Pons beat Francesca New Zealand’s Kirwan and Olivia Macdonald, 21-12, 17-21, 15-9, to enter their golden match.
An equal number of wins for two countries set up a golden match, a game that determines the team that enters finals on Saturday.
Requinton, paired with Garcia, won against Lebanese players Paul Bou Akl and Azzi, 21-16, 21-17.
UST players along with other national team members trained in a bubble setup in a resort in Ilocos Norte before flying to Thailand for the tournament on Monday. Nina Angela Mikaela Cruz
