Sidelined by injury, Soriano reunites with Tan for title

Charo Soriano has every reason to smile after a successful return to her tandem with Bea Tan (back turned).

It wasn’t easy for Charo Soriano watching at the sidelines while recuperating from a knee injury. And there was certainly reason to feel jittery when it was time to make her comeback.

One thing that helped her be at ease, though, was the comfort and familiarity of teaming up with long-time teammate Bea Tan.

“It’s great playing with her since we already know each other’s ins and outs, strengths and weaknesses,” Soriano told the Inquirer after she and Tan ruled the Beach Volleyball Republic On Tour Lio Beach leg in El Nido, Palawan, recently.

Soriano and Tan edged Dzi Gervacio and Roma Doromal, 21-16, 21-19, in the Finals for a perfect 6-0 campaign in the two-day tournament to notch their second title this year.

Tan was also glad to be join forces with Soriano again in the sand court, pushing her to work hard in the game.

“Happy to take home the win in the BVR on Tour El Nido,” Tan posted on her Instagram account. “Super happy that (Soriano is) back playing and killing it.”

While it may have seemed like Soriano had a seamless return from the knee injury that kept her out of action since the Sta. Ana leg in June, it was actually a long road back to fitness.

“It was a rough couple of months for me, trying to recover from my knee injury,” said Soriano. “I couldn’t actively go to therapy because of all the travels and the workload.”

But sheer determination—plus her teammate’s constant motivation—helped Soriano bounce back.

“I just needed work on getting those sand legs back. Bea pushes me to be better, to strive harder, to play smarter,” she said, adding that she and Tan have grown as teammates.

“We play more maturely now, I guess,” said Soriano. “As opposed to before, we now have a more fluid system. It’s an adjustment stage but it helps me a lot during this recovery.”

Up next for the champion duo is the Dumaguete leg on Nov. 19 and 20.