As the PVL on Tour elimination round ended in Candon City Arena at Ilocos Sur last night, Tuesday, July 29, the Knockout Stage is now set with teams ending their schedule with a win.
ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, the Undisputed 5-Set Specialists
This preseason, if there’s anything that has been written in stone, it would be that the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles will always win in five sets.
And in their game against the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, they have proved that this isn’t just some myth.
Chery Tiggo came out of the gates firing. With a balanced offensive showing led by Renee Peñafiel and Cess Robles, the Crossovers took the opening frame, putting ZUS Coffee on the defensive early.
Unfazed by the slow start, ZUS Coffee regrouped in the second set. With setter Cloanne Mondonedo orchestrating the offense they recovered. Thunderbelles rookie, AC Miner, found her rhythm, while Kate Santiago and Chai Troncoso contributed key points. Their steady play earned them the second set win, leveling the match at one set apiece.
The third set saw Crossovers regain momentum. Peñafiel continued her standout showing, combining with Ara Galang and Imee Hernandez to reclaim the lead. Chery Tiggo dictated the tempo to secure the third set win, moving within one set of victory.
With their backs against the wall, the Thunderbelles dug deep. Anchored by their prized rookie, AC Miner, with her dominant net presence, ZUS Coffee turned the tables. Miner’s blocks and quick attacks sparked a late run, while Santiago and Troncoso chipped in from the wings. Their aggressive push forced a fifth set.
Momentum firmly on their side, ZUS Coffee wasted no time seizing control in the decider. After a brief 1-all tie, the Thunderbelles uncorked a 4-0 run, featuring back-to-back points from Chinnie Arroyo. Santiago’s thunderous spike extended the lead to 11-5. From there, it was all Thunderbelles. Jovelyn Gonzaga’s final kill sealed the win and capped off the massive turnaround.
FINAL SCORES = SET 1: 25 – 19, SET 2: 25 – 22, SET 3: 25 – 18, SET 4: 25 – 19, SET 5: 15 – 16
Cloanne Mondonedo anchored the Thunderbelles’ victory, earning her Best Player of the Game honors. She finished with 36 excellent sets and 2 points. Miner led all ZUS scorers with 19 points, while Santiago chipped in 13. Arroyo and Troncoso added 11 and 10 markers, respectively.
For the side of Crossovers, Peñafiel once again displayed her promise with 19 points. Robles delivered 18, Hernandez added 14, and Galang contributed 11.
This victory was ZUS Coffee’s third fifth-set win in four five-set matches during the preliminaries. It further highlighted the team’s resilience and ability to perform under pressure. Their previous dramatic victory over powerhouse Creamline last July 19 in Iloilo City had already hinted at their rise as dark-horse contenders.
Though the Thunderbelles did not clinch an automatic quarterfinal berth, their comeback over Chery Tiggo sent ripples through the league. Creamline, despite their earlier loss to ZUS, benefited from this upset and advanced to the Last 8 via superior tiebreak points.
Despite falling short of a direct quarterfinal slot, the Thunderbelles proved they are built for five-set wars. Both the Thunderbelles and Crossovers end their elimination round with a record of 3 – 2 in Pool B.
Petro Gazz Captures a Much-Needed 2nd Victory
The Petro Gazz Angels are in desperation mode to go back into their winning form before the Knockout Stage of the tournament begins.
And battling the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, they gave it their all.
Choco Mucho capitalized on Petro Gazz’s shaky start, taking full advantage of their opponent’s unforced errors to secure the opening set. Cherry Nunag, Ayesha Juegos, and Royse Tubino spearheaded the attack, helping the Flying Titans take the lead.
Refusing to fold, the Angels bounced back with renewed energy in the second set. Anchored by improved floor defense and steadier passing, they shifted the momentum behind the efforts of Myla Pablo and Nicole Tiamzon. The latter contributed key digs while Pablo delivered clutch hits to lift Petro Gazz to a second set win, evening the match at 1 a piece.
The third frame was a back-and-forth affair with neither team yielding ground easily. The Flying Titans kept pace thanks to continued output from their key scorers, but Angels held firm. With composure in the closing plays, Petro Gazz edged out Choco Mucho to take a 2-1 set advantage.
Midway through the fourth set, Choco Mucho appeared on the verge of forcing a decider, pulling ahead 15-12. However, the Angels quickly regrouped. Ranya Musa, AA Adolfo, and Pablo ignited a decisive 8-0 run to swing the momentum their way at 20-15.
Choco Mucho briefly interrupted the surge with hits from Jen Villegas and Tubino to trim the gap to 17-20, but the Angels closed strong. Pablo and Tiamzon led a 5-0 finishing kick, capped by Pablo’s backrow kill, to seal the match.
FINAL SCORES = SET 1: 25 – 20, SET 2: 25 – 19, SET 3: 26 – 24, SET 4: 25 – 17
Myla Pablo of the Petro Gazz Angels led the way with a commanding 23-point outing, capped by 16 excellent receptions, displaying her all-around capabilities. Tiamzon chipped in 16 points and 12 excellent digs, earning Best Player of the Game honors. Aiza Pontillas and Ranya Musa added 10 points apiece, while Joy Dacoron and Jonah Sabete scored six and five, respectively.
Veteran libero of the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, Bang Pineda, also made her return to Petro Gazz after her stint with Akari Chargers, notching 13 excellent digs and 12 receptions, sharing backline duties with Jellie Tempiatura.
Petro Gazz goes for the final record of 3 – 2 while Choco Mucho goes down 1 – 4.
Up Next: Knockout Stage
In Pool A, #1 PLDT and #2 Nxled get the automatic quarterfinals spot. While in Pool B, #1 Cignal and #2 Creamline gets the automatic playoff berth.
Starting on August 2 (Saturday), the Knockout Stage begins:
- #3 Farm Fresh Foxies (3-2) vs #6 Capital1 (0-5)
- #3 Chery Tiggo (3-2) vs #6 Galeries Tower (0-5)
