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Thunderbelles Thrive In The Fifth As ZUS Coffee Outlasts Akari In Thriller
Photo credit: PVL
On Thursday night at the FilOil Playtime Centre in San Juan, the Thunderbelles once again showed their flair for drawn-out duels, outlasting Akari Chargers in a gripping five-set battle, 16-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-23, 15-12, in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
The victory snapped a two-game skid and, more importantly, reinforced ZUS Coffee’s growing reputation as a squad built for pressure-packed deciders.
From Heartbreak to Comeback
Just last Saturday, the Thunderbelles were on the wrong side of a five-set heartbreak against the Galerie Tower Highrisers. Instead of letting that loss linger, they responded the only way they know how — by digging deep.
Still adjusting without injured middle blocker AC Miner and with head coach Jerry Yee handing the reins to Onyok Getigan, ZUS Coffee leaned on grit over firepower.
“Nag-step up lahat. Kasi ‘yung palitan ng substitution naming, nag-work naman,” said Getigan after the match.
After trading lopsided sets in the first three frames and falling behind 1-2, the Thunderbelles found themselves staring at another defeat. But in the fourth, they tightened their net defense and cleaned up their transition plays, clawing back from a late deficit to force a deciding set.
And once it reached the fifth, ZUS Coffee looked right at home.
Owning the Decider
Deadlocked early in the final frame, the Thunderbelles unleashed a telling 6-2 run to grab an 8-4 edge at the changeover. From there, they dictated the tempo with assertive net play and confident swings.
Setter Cloanne Mondonedo orchestrated the offense with calm precision. In a crucial stretch, she disguised a backset to veteran Jovelyn Gonzaga, who blasted a power hit to bring ZUS to match point, 14-12.
Eli Soyud briefly extended the match, but the Thunderbelles never wavered. On the next rally, Chinnie Arroyo soared for a clean, uncontested strike that sealed the win in two hours and five minutes.
Balanced Attack Seals It
Arroyo paced ZUS Coffee with 18 points, while Gonzaga added 14 markers, along with two blocks and two aces. Risa Nogales chipped in 10, and Thea Gagate contributed nine.
“Thankful ako sa bawat isa… nag-step up talaga bawat isa,” Gonzaga shared. “More than the winning and the trophies, ang importante malagpasan namin ng team kung ano man ang pinagdadaanan namin ngayon. Sa panalong ito, kahit papaano, unti-unti nakakausad kami.”
For Akari, the loss dropped them to 0-2 despite Ivy Lacsina’s impressive 24-point performance. Fifi Sharma added 14, Chenie Tagaod had 10, and Ced Domingo finished with eight.
Lacsina almost carried the Chargers in the fifth, trimming the deficit multiple times. But crucial miscues — including a service error off a key substitution by coach Tina Salak — opened the door for ZUS Coffee to close it out.
Built for the Distance
For a team still recalibrating its rotation, the win spoke volumes.
ZUS Coffee may bend. But when the match stretches to the limit, the Thunderbelles rarely break.
The victory snapped a two-game skid and, more importantly, reinforced ZUS Coffee’s growing reputation as a squad built for pressure-packed deciders.
From Heartbreak to Comeback
Just last Saturday, the Thunderbelles were on the wrong side of a five-set heartbreak against the Galerie Tower Highrisers. Instead of letting that loss linger, they responded the only way they know how — by digging deep.
Still adjusting without injured middle blocker AC Miner and with head coach Jerry Yee handing the reins to Onyok Getigan, ZUS Coffee leaned on grit over firepower.
“Nag-step up lahat. Kasi ‘yung palitan ng substitution naming, nag-work naman,” said Getigan after the match.
After trading lopsided sets in the first three frames and falling behind 1-2, the Thunderbelles found themselves staring at another defeat. But in the fourth, they tightened their net defense and cleaned up their transition plays, clawing back from a late deficit to force a deciding set.
And once it reached the fifth, ZUS Coffee looked right at home.
Owning the Decider
Deadlocked early in the final frame, the Thunderbelles unleashed a telling 6-2 run to grab an 8-4 edge at the changeover. From there, they dictated the tempo with assertive net play and confident swings.
Setter Cloanne Mondonedo orchestrated the offense with calm precision. In a crucial stretch, she disguised a backset to veteran Jovelyn Gonzaga, who blasted a power hit to bring ZUS to match point, 14-12.
Eli Soyud briefly extended the match, but the Thunderbelles never wavered. On the next rally, Chinnie Arroyo soared for a clean, uncontested strike that sealed the win in two hours and five minutes.
Balanced Attack Seals It
Arroyo paced ZUS Coffee with 18 points, while Gonzaga added 14 markers, along with two blocks and two aces. Risa Nogales chipped in 10, and Thea Gagate contributed nine.
“Thankful ako sa bawat isa… nag-step up talaga bawat isa,” Gonzaga shared. “More than the winning and the trophies, ang importante malagpasan namin ng team kung ano man ang pinagdadaanan namin ngayon. Sa panalong ito, kahit papaano, unti-unti nakakausad kami.”
For Akari, the loss dropped them to 0-2 despite Ivy Lacsina’s impressive 24-point performance. Fifi Sharma added 14, Chenie Tagaod had 10, and Ced Domingo finished with eight.
Lacsina almost carried the Chargers in the fifth, trimming the deficit multiple times. But crucial miscues — including a service error off a key substitution by coach Tina Salak — opened the door for ZUS Coffee to close it out.
Built for the Distance
For a team still recalibrating its rotation, the win spoke volumes.
ZUS Coffee may bend. But when the match stretches to the limit, the Thunderbelles rarely break.
Feb 13, 2026
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