PVL on Tour visited the City of Passi Arena in Iloilo City last night, July 19, Saturday, where fans saw a battle of unbeaten teams play one another and a historical franchise win.
ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles went up against Creamline Cool Smashers. While the Top 2 teams in Pool B faced one another, Chery Tiggo Crossovers and the Cignal HD Spikers.
Thunderbelles Outlasts a Thrilling 5-Set Match
ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles made their preseason game as entertaining and thrilling as possible against the 10-time champions Creamline Cool Smashers as they went into a 5-set.
After dropping the fourth set and allowing Creamline to force a decider, ZUS Coffee regrouped behind a crucial 5-1 run sparked by Chinnie Arroyo that turned a narrow 6-5 lead into a commanding 10-6 cushion in the final frame. Creamline’s Jema Galanza tried to claw back with a solo 3-1 spurt, trimming the deficit to 9-11, but veterans Fiola Ceballos and hometown star Jovelyn Gonzaga strung together three straight points to push the Thunderbelles to match point.
Although Michele Gumabao answered with a kill and an attack error from Gonzaga gave Creamline a glimmer of hope, Rose Vargas sent her serve long, sealing the upset win for ZUS Coffee.
FINAL SCORES = Set 1: 26-24, Set 2: 25-20, Set 3: 25-23, Set 4: 25-22, Set 5: 15-11
The Thunderbelles collect their first-ever franchise win against Creamline, as well as handling the Cool Smashers’ a rare second consecutive defeat. This was the first since their back-to-back losses against PLDT and Choco Mucho in last season’s 2024 All-Filipino Conference.
Arroyo led all scorers with 23 points, all but one coming off attacks. Thunderbelles’ rookie, AC Miner, chipped in 16 markers, including two service aces, while Gonzaga, playing through back issues, contributed 12 points in front of her home crowd. Setter Cloanne Mondonedo orchestrated the offense with 30 excellent sets despite suffering from cramps late in the match, and libero Alyssa Eroa anchored the floor defense with 21 excellent digs.
On Creamline’s side, Galanza recorded 21 points along with 13 digs. Captain Alyssa Valdez added 16 points and 21 excellent receptions, while Gumabao finished with 14 points. Kyle Negrito tallied 27 excellent sets in the loss.
The ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles improve their record to 2-1 and bolster their bid for an outright quarterfinal berth in Pool B. They will look to ride their momentum against Cignal on Sunday at 4:00 PM.
The Creamline Cool Smashers, now at 2-2, aim to bounce back against Chery Tiggo in their final pool stage match at 6:30 PM.
The Battle of Alpha Teams in Pool B
It was a collision course between two teams that shared an unblemished record of 3-0. The Chery Tiggo Crossovers battle Cignal HD Spikers as they look to dominate Pool B.
The Crossovers dominated the opening frame and controlled both the third and fourth sets. However, they let a seven-point lead slip away in the second set, as Cignal mounted a 12-4 run to steal the frame. Newcomers Erika Santos and Heather Guino-o spearheaded that comeback, combining for the crucial points that forced a fourth set.
Still, Chery Tiggo quickly recovered. In the fourth set, they attacked early behind tough serving, exposing Cignal’s shaky reception. They built an 11-6 lead and stretched it to 21-12 after a heads-up play from veteran Aby Maraño. The match ended after two costly errors from Cignal rookie Jessa Ordiales.
FINAL SCORES = Set 1: 25-23, Set 2: 28-26, Set 3: 25-15, Set 4: 25-15
Chery Tiggo capitalized on Cignal’s 33 unforced errors throughout the match.
Rookie middle blocker, Renee Peñafiel, led the way for the Crossovers with a breakout 18-point performance, tallying 12 attacks, three blocks, and three service aces. She received ample support from Ara Galang, who scored 15 points, and Cess Robles, who delivered a double-double with 14 points and 14 excellent digs. Returning middle blocker Imee Hernandez also chipped in 11 points to round out a well-balanced attack.
Aby Maraño, the 32-year-old native of Passi, contributed 7 points as she cherishes playing in front of her home crowd.
On the other side, Erika Mae Santos scored 14 points for the HD Spikers to go along with 13 attacks. She’s followed by Pearl Ann Denura with 8 points and Maria Rochelle Lalongisip with 7 points and 2 blocks.
The Crossovers improved to 3-0, seizing the solo lead in their pool and dealing Cignal its first loss of the tournament, dropping the HD Spikers to 3-1. Chery Tiggo now joins PLDT and Nxled, both from Pool A, as the only teams left with unblemished records.
