PREMIUM PERFORMANCE: Thunderbelles smash Crossovers, rack up second straight victory

ZUS Coffee displayed complete team effort in bringing down fancied Chery Tiggo, 25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20, for a second straight win in the 2024-2025 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference Thursday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Setter Cloanne Mondonedo utilized the Thunderbelles’ scorers to overwhelm the stunned Crossovers for an even 4-4 win-loss record.

Five ZUS Coffee players registered double-figure scoring with veteran winger Jovelyn Gonzaga leading the pack with 20 points highlighted by 17 attacks including the game-winning crosscourt kill to seal the two-hour, 14-minute match.

Gonzaga, whose veteran presence and leadership turned the young team’s fate around after a winless season last year, was also active on the defensive end with 15 digs.

Chai Trongcoso added 18 points, top overall pick Thea Gagate had 13 including three kill blocks while Chinnie Arroyo and Michelle Gamit chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively, in the Thunderbelles’ first-ever win over the 2021 Open Conference champion.

Mondonedo tallied 17 excellent sets to help her club smash 69 attack points on top of three points.

ZUS Coffee head coach Jerry Yee, however, was far from satisfied.

He was particularly disappointed with the Thunderbelles’ performance in the closing stretch of the third frame where they squandered a 21-19 lead and allowed Chery Tiggo to mount a 6-2 closing rally to extend the match.

“It’s hard to be consistent when you’re tired. It affects your decision-making and the way you move inside the court,” Yee said.

“The reason why we workout, train, and do repetitions is to avoid committing bad decision-making in the fourth, fifth set. I thought the energy went down. We have to work on those.”

ZUS Coffee regrouped in the fourth set, racing to an early lead and kept a safe distance.

The Thunderbelles erected a 21-15 gap and moved at match point, 24-18, after Seth Rodriguez committed the last of the Crossovers’ 14 miscues with a service error.

Chery Tiggo saved two match points before Gonzaga sealed the deal.

Ara Galang led the Crossovers, who slipped to a 5-4 mark, with 20 points off 17 spikes, two kill blocks and an ace.

Shaya Adorador scored 12 of her 13 points on kills while Cess Robles got 11 points.