What once seemed like a long shot is now a reality—ZUS Coffee has punched its ticket to the PVL quarterfinals for the first time in franchise history. The Thunderbelles secured their spot with a gritty 25-22, 25-17, 18-25, 25-17 victory over Capital1 in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference Play-In stage at the Philsports Arena on Thursday night, March 13.

With a sweep of Pool A, ZUS Coffee not only advanced to the next round but also eliminated Cignal from contention. The Thunderbelles will now face the second-seeded Petro Gazz Angels in a best-of-three quarterfinal series starting Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the top-seeded Creamline Cool Smashers will take on the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, who topped their side of the Play-In stage.

The quarterfinals kick off on Saturday with Akari vs. Galeries Tower at 4 p.m. followed by PLDT vs. Choco Mucho at 6:30 p.m.

Mondonedo leads the way as ZUS Coffee overcomes third-set scare

Setter Cloanne Mondonedo was instrumental in the victory, tallying 24 excellent sets while adding six points, including two clutch 1-2 plays late in the fourth set that helped secure the win.

“We’re super proud—this is the first time for us and the franchise to reach the quarterfinals. I’m proud of my teammates because they gave it their all,” said Mondonedo.

Though ZUS Coffee had full control early, Capital1 refused to go down without a fight. The Solar Spikers stunned the Thunderbelles in the third set, momentarily threatening to extend the match.

“We knew the Solar Spikers would put up a fight. But we managed to bounce back in the fourth set because we wanted this win so badly,” Mondonedo added.

Fourth-set rally seals the deal for ZUS Coffee

Still shaken from Capital1’s third-set comeback, ZUS Coffee started slowly in the fourth, falling behind at several points. However, a service violation by Patty Orendain at 11-10 sparked a momentum shift.

Veteran Jovelyn Gonzaga took over, firing three consecutive power hits to put the Thunderbelles ahead 18-13. Mondonedo then executed back-to-back 1-2 plays, further extending the lead.

Capital1 attempted one final push, cutting the deficit to 17-22 on a Norielle Ipac running attack, but ZUS Coffee held firm. Chinnie Arroyo delivered a crucial kill, and Gonzaga sealed the match with another well-placed hit.

An Ipac attack error finally ended the match, cementing ZUS Coffee’s quarterfinal berth.

Stat leaders and quarterfinal preview

Chai Troncoso, who scored 21 points against Cignal earlier in the week, led ZUS Coffee again with 15 points. Middle blocker Thea Gagate dominated at the net with 13 points, including four kill blocks. Arroyo added nine markers, while Gonzaga and Kate Santiago chipped in eight points apiece.

For Capital1, Ipac had a breakout game with 17 points, while Leila Cruz added 13. Veterans Shola Alvarez and Orendain contributed 10 points each.

With the Play-In stage behind them, the Thunderbelles now shift their focus to Petro Gazz. The best-of-three quarterfinals series kicks off on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., right after the Creamline vs. Chery Tiggo matchup at 4 p.m.