The national team pool has been training in their bubble in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte since May 18 ahead of the event which is slated on June 18 in Thailand that serves as a qualifier to the Tokyo Olympics. 

After more than a year settling only for virtual workouts, Rondina was able to team up once again with her longtime partner Bernadeth Pons, while Garcia was reunited with Anthony “Krung” Arbasto.

Joining them are also Creamline players consisting of Jaron Requinton, James Buytrago, Pemie Bagalay, Ran Abdilla, Dzi Gervacio, and Dij Rodriguez.

Catching up for their lost time, the Creamline players are working out twice a day to gear up for the qualifiers as well as their build-up for the 2021 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam later this year. 

“We’ve been training for almost two weeks. Apart from getting used to the heat, we also have already desensitized to the routine twice-a-day sand court training,” said Creamline beach volleyball program head Charo Soriano.

“In between our sand court training, Coach Paolo Escaño, our strength and conditioning coach, makes sure that the players are ready for their upcoming international competitions,” she added. 

In addition to their rigorous training in the sand, the Creamline players were also treated to a restorative yoga session conducted by beauty queen-turned-yoga instructor Jamie Herrell. 

“We’ve been working on other facets here in the bubble, too. We believe that mental toughness, emotional stability, and spiritual calmness will complement the physical aspect of the players’ training program,” Soriano propounded.