Thunderbelles claim biggest victims
For a team that just caught its biggest fish, ZUS Coffee wasn’t too much in a celebratory mood. The Thunderbelles know that there is much more work to do in the long PVL All-Filipino Conference.
“Of course, happy [with the win], but our work doesn’t end with a single win,” Cloanne Mondoñedo said in Filipino after distributing 17 excellent sets to commandeer ZUS Coffee to a 25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20 triumph over Chery Tiggo on Thursday at PhilSports Arena. “We have to move forward and keep on working.”
“Happy that our [hard work] is bearing fruit, and our games are having [positive] results,” Mich Gamit, a teammate of Mondoñedo since their Benilde days, said after contributing 10 points. “Our hard work is not being wasted and that our performance is much better compared to the past conferences.”
This is easily the best tournament of the Thunderbelles, who were listless in their first two. By defeating the veterans-laden Crossovers, ZUS Coffee leveled its standing to an even 4-4 like Akari heading into their last three games, where they can improve on their playoff ranking.
The youthful crew evidently came prepared for whatever Chery Tiggo had to offer, with the relentless pursuit of the Thunderbelles to be better each game their undeniable trump card.
“We are never satisfied. [We are] always working to move forward,” coach Jerry Yee said.
Having never encountered this much success, the Thunderbelles, however, are not thinking too far ahead.
“We don’t have [playoffs] projections yet,” Yee said. “We still have a lot to work on ourselves so [we’ll strive to beat] whoever is in front of us and how to execute and how we will respond in those kinds of situations.
“If we win, good. If not, we learn. It’s like that,” he added.
Jov Gonzaga top-scored with 20 points, 17 from attacks. Chai Troncoso punched in 18 points, Thea Gagate 13 points and Chinnie Arroyo 12 points, highlighting a balanced offensive.
Before the match, the league offered a moment of silence for the late Sammy Acaylar. The seasoned mentor last coached the now-defunct Gerflor Defenders back in 2023.
