BEFORE Sisi Rondina showed her wares on the taraflex courts of the Premier Volleyball League, the 5'6" spiker first built her game and stamina on the sand courts as she used to represent her school and the country in beach volleyball competitions.
HISTORIC BRONZE Alas Pilipinas makes history with a podium finish, taking home the bronze medal in the AVC Challenge Cup 2024 on May 29, 2024. Angel Canino and Jia De Guzman were awarded Best Opposite Spiker and Best Setter, respectively. PHOTOS BY RIO DELUVIO HISTORIC BRONZE Alas Pilipinas makes history with a podium finish, taking home the bronze medal in the AVC Challenge Cup 2024 on May 29, 2024. Angel Canino and Jia De Guzman were awarded Best Opposite Spiker and Best Setter, respectively. PHOTOS BY RIO DELUVIO HISTORIC BRONZE Alas Pilipinas makes history with a podium finish, taking home the bronze medal in the AVC Challenge Cup 2024 on May 29, 2024. Angel Canino and Jia De Guzman were awarded Best Opposite Spiker and Best Setter, respectively. PHOTOS BY RIO DELUVIO HISTORIC BRONZE Alas Pilipinas makes history with a podium finish, taking home the bronze medal in the AVC Challenge Cup 2024 on May 29, 2024. Angel Canino and Jia De Guzman were awarded Best Opposite Spiker and Best Setter, respectively. PHOTOS BY RIO DELUVIO HISTORIC BRONZE Alas Pilipinas makes history with a podium finish, taking home the bronze medal in the AVC Challenge Cup 2024 on May 29, 2024. Angel Canino and Jia De Guzman were awarded Best Opposite Spiker and Best Setter, respectively. PHOTOS BY RIO DELUVIO HISTORIC BRONZE Alas Pilipinas makes history with a podium finish, taking home the bronze medal in the AVC Challenge Cup 2024 on May 29, 2024. Angel Canino and Jia De Guzman were awarded Best Opposite Spiker and Best Setter, respectively. PHOTOS BY RIO DELUVIO HISTORIC BRONZE Alas Pilipinas makes history with a podium finish, taking home the bronze medal in the AVC Challenge Cup 2024 on May 29, 2024. Angel Canino and Jia De Guzman were awarded Best Opposite Spiker and Best Setter, respectively. PHOTOS BY RIO DELUVIO HISTORIC BRONZE Alas Pilipinas makes history with a podium finish, taking home the bronze medal in the AVC Challenge Cup 2024 on May 29, 2024. Angel Canino and Jia De Guzman were awarded Best Opposite Spiker and Best Setter, respectively. PHOTOS BY RIO DELUVIO HISTORIC BRONZE Alas Pilipinas makes history with a podium finish, taking home the bronze medal in the AVC Challenge Cup 2024 on May 29, 2024. Angel Canino and Jia De Guzman were awarded Best Opposite Spiker and Best Setter, respectively. PHOTOS BY RIO DELUVIO
Now, she plays for flag and country anew as part of the Alas Pilipinas team in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) 2024 Challenge Cup.
Rondina shared how grateful she is to step out of her comfort zone and be part of the historic run for the Philippine indoor volleyball team.
"I am really grateful for the trust since I initially declined to be part of the lineup of the national team because I wanted to rest. But it feels so good to represent the country, and when I knew who my teammates were, I said to myself, 'Go, why not try indoor?' Knowing that this is international, and I also somehow doubted myself, but I really want to show what the Filipinos are capable of," Rondina said.
Rondina scored 13 points to help the Philippines bag its first bronze medal in the AVC tournament after dominating Australia in straight sets, 25-23, 25-15, 25-7, last Wednesday.
With her pint-sized frame, the PVL 2023 All-Filipino Conference Most Valuable Player went against the Goliaths of other countries but showed no fear whenever she soared for a score.
Rondina put up giant numbers against Australia (16 points), India (9), and Iran (12) in the preliminaries.
Going against the taller Kazakhstan squad in the semifinals, Rondina fired eight points in a gallant stand by the Filipinos who bowed in straight sets.
Experiencing triumphs and setbacks this volleyball season, Rondina also expressed how much she needs to rest since she went to train for the national team right after her finals stint with Choco Mucho.
"I need to rest. I really forced to play even though I was experiencing knee pain. But if there are more opportunities I will still grab it," said the former University of Santo Tomas player.Despite a tiring run for Rondina this volleyball season, Rondina shared how grateful she is to be part of something big.
"Yes, it was too much, but I am really grateful for the support. I am proud to represent the country and be part of history. This win is for all of the people who supported us since day one," she said.