Fresh off winning a gold medal at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in women’s beach volleyball, Bernadeth Pons returned to indoor action with the Creamline Cool Smashers in the PVL and found herself surrounded by familiar faces, both as teammates and as opponents.
On Tuesday, February 10, Creamline faced sister team Choco Mucho Flying Titans at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena. Across the net was Pons’ beach volleyball partner, Sisi Rondina. In the end, the Cool Smashers secured a four-set win, 27-25, 17-25, 25-21, 25-15.
“Wala lang,” Pons answered when asked about playing against Rondina. “Normal lang naman kasi after ng beach, kasi alam naman namin na babalik talaga kami sa indoor, na maglalaban at maglalaban talaga kami.”
“Challenge din ‘yun para sa bawat isa sa amin. Alam ko na sobrang competitive niya rin talaga, sobrang ganda niyang kasama, at sobrang ganda niya kalaban,” she added.
Pons-Jia Reunion Powers Creamline
While Pons saw Rondina on the opposite side of the net, she was also reunited with setter Jia De Guzman, who recently returned to the PVL after playing in Japan and serving as captain of the Alas Pilipinas Women’s National Volleyball Team.
“Every day naman andun pa rin ‘yung adjustment kasi gaya nga ng sabi ni Jia, ang daming bumalik sa amin. Siya rin, kakabalik niya lang din, ako din. Nung last kasi na nag-abot kami, sobrang iksi lang nun, e,” Pons said regarding her connection with De Guzman.
“Ngayon pa lang ‘yung time ulit na ibi-build namin ‘yung connection na setter to spiker. So ‘yun, every day pa rin talaga andun ‘yung adjustment. So, every day namin ‘yun tinatrabaho.”
Pons Stoked by Local Crowd
For Pons, the return to indoor volleyball also meant reconnecting with the energy of the local crowd, as fans packed the MOA Arena.
“Sobrang saya rin na makapaglaro ulit dito sa MOA kasi ilang months din na hindi ako nakalaro ng indoor, so iba pa rin ‘yung aura ng pagpasok mo kanina kasi sobrang daming tao,” she shared.
“Sobrang saya din talaga kasi kalaban namin ‘yung Choco pa, isa sa mga matibay na team din talaga this conference. Sobrang happy din na nakuha namin ‘yung win.”
Creamline returns to action on Tuesday, February 17, against the Capital1 Solar Spikers at 4:00 p.m. at the FilOil Centre.
