The Zus Coffee Thunderbelles. PVL Media Bureau
MANILA, Philippines – Zus Coffee will advance to the quarterfinals of the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference after moving past Capital1, 25-22, 25-17, 18-25, 25-17, in the final game of the play-in rumble on Thursday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
The Thunderbelles are continuing to rewrite history as they advance to their first-ever playoff appearance, securing at least an eighth-place finish in the ongoing volleyball competition.
They finished at the bottom in the previous conferences.
However, a tall order is awaiting in the next round as they are set to face red-hot Petro Gazz, led by reigning All-Filipino Most Valuable Player (MVP) Brooke Van Sickle.
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Holding a 2-1 set lead, the Thunderbelles kept the Solar Spikers at bay in Set 4 after stealing the lead at the 12-11 mark after a Jov Gonzaga down-the-line hit.
Gonzaga then led a 4-0 blitz midway through the fourth frame from the 14-13 count, which eventually proved to be enough as they pulled away with the win.
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It was Gonzaga who also fired the attack which gave them the match point, and an error from the Capital1 side gifted the win to the Thunderbelles, closing out the match that lasted exactly two hours.
The Jerry Yee-coached squad also eliminated Cignal in the process as it claimed the lone quarterfinal ticket in Pool A.
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Chai Troncoso headlined the blue shirts' scoring by listing 15 points on 12 attacks, two blocks, and a service ace to go with 17 excellent receptions, while Thea Gagate chipped in 13 points including four blocks.
Gonzaga concluded the match with eight points and 12 excellent digs, while Dolly Versoza also had a whopping 16 digs.
In a losing effort, Capital1's Julia Ipac had 17 points, Leila Cruz collected 13, while Patty Orendain and Shola Alvarez tallied 10 each.