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ZUS Coffee's Rookie Trio Sparks A Stunning Semifinal Run
Photo credit: PVL
ZUS Coffee wasn’t supposed to be here—not this fast. When the team picked AC Miner, Riza Nogales, and Mycah Go in the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft, people saw potential, but no one quite expected a full-blown franchise turnaround.
Yet in just one conference, the Thunderbelles have flipped the script. A team once stuck at the bottom is now celebrating its first-ever trip to the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference semifinals.
And the key? Three rookies who refused to play like rookies.
ZUS Coffee finished second in the eliminations with a stellar 7–1 record—another franchise milestone—and the draft trio has been at the heart of that rise. Miner has been a steady anchor in the starting lineup, Nogales has become the draft-night steal at 25th overall, and Go delivers crucial minutes off the bench. Add in free-agent standouts Fiola Ceballos, Chai Troncoso, and Alyssa Eroa, and suddenly ZUS Coffee looks every bit like a team that belongs among the league’s elite.
“‘Pag tama yung pieces, pag tama yung na-pick mo, siyempre malaking tulong,” head coach Jerry Yee said after sweeping Capital1 in the quarterfinals. “This year, nadagdagan kami. And nasa first six nga yung dalawang rookies namin, so malaking tulong.”
Setter Cloanne Mondoñedo agrees—everyone knows their role, and everyone buys in.
“Yung addition nina AC, Riza, Ate Ly, Anna, and Ate Fiola, sobrang malaking bagay talaga,” she said. “Maganda ito para sa amin para mag-ready sa next [All-Filipino] conference.”
As they gear up for a semifinal duel against PLDT on Thursday, Mondoñedo said the plan is simple: keep the mood light, trust the system, and follow the game plan.
“Ako personally, sabi ko sa kanila, enjoyin lang namin yung game,” she shared. “Sumunod lang kami sa system. Sa instructions ng coaches, lahat naman magfofollow.”
Whether this Cinderella run continues remains to be seen—but one thing’s clear: ZUS Coffee is no longer a rebuilding team. They’re a threat. And with their fearless rookie trio leading the charge, the future looks brighter than ever.
Yet in just one conference, the Thunderbelles have flipped the script. A team once stuck at the bottom is now celebrating its first-ever trip to the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference semifinals.
And the key? Three rookies who refused to play like rookies.
ZUS Coffee finished second in the eliminations with a stellar 7–1 record—another franchise milestone—and the draft trio has been at the heart of that rise. Miner has been a steady anchor in the starting lineup, Nogales has become the draft-night steal at 25th overall, and Go delivers crucial minutes off the bench. Add in free-agent standouts Fiola Ceballos, Chai Troncoso, and Alyssa Eroa, and suddenly ZUS Coffee looks every bit like a team that belongs among the league’s elite.
“‘Pag tama yung pieces, pag tama yung na-pick mo, siyempre malaking tulong,” head coach Jerry Yee said after sweeping Capital1 in the quarterfinals. “This year, nadagdagan kami. And nasa first six nga yung dalawang rookies namin, so malaking tulong.”
Setter Cloanne Mondoñedo agrees—everyone knows their role, and everyone buys in.
“Yung addition nina AC, Riza, Ate Ly, Anna, and Ate Fiola, sobrang malaking bagay talaga,” she said. “Maganda ito para sa amin para mag-ready sa next [All-Filipino] conference.”
As they gear up for a semifinal duel against PLDT on Thursday, Mondoñedo said the plan is simple: keep the mood light, trust the system, and follow the game plan.
“Ako personally, sabi ko sa kanila, enjoyin lang namin yung game,” she shared. “Sumunod lang kami sa system. Sa instructions ng coaches, lahat naman magfofollow.”
Whether this Cinderella run continues remains to be seen—but one thing’s clear: ZUS Coffee is no longer a rebuilding team. They’re a threat. And with their fearless rookie trio leading the charge, the future looks brighter than ever.
Nov 27, 2025
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