In a tournament defined by late-game drama and mental toughness, the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles once again proved they’re built for clutch moments.

The gritty squad delivered their most electrifying comeback yet on Tuesday night at the Philsports Arena, overcoming a two-set deficit to stun Choco Mucho, 22-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-17, 15-10, and snatch the final PVL On Tour quarterfinal berth.

The win marked their fourth five-set victory of the pre-season campaign organized by Sports Vision—but more importantly, their first reverse sweep. From being a team once rattled in tight finishes, ZUS Coffee has become the league’s most dangerous underdog, embracing every fifth set as a proving ground.

Arroyo, Gonzaga lead fiery comeback

“Walang magsasawa, five sets lagi,” joked Chinnie Arroyo, who once again led the charge with a 21-point outburst, including a dominant third set that sparked the turnaround.

Arroyo, who piled up 80 total points in pool play, torched Choco Mucho’s defense with powerful spikes and fueled a renewed energy that spread across the roster. But she was quick to downplay her performance, crediting it to hard-earned improvements: “Aral at training.”

Veteran Jovelyn Gonzaga played the stabilizer with 16 points and seven digs. She came up huge in the fifth set, opening with a hit off a block touch and scoring four more times to shut the door on the Flying Titans.

Rookie AC Miner had her breakout game with 14 points, including four timely blocks, while Fiola Ceballos and Kate Santiago added 10 apiece to keep momentum alive while Arroyo rotated.

The steady orchestration of Cloanne Mondonedo was vital. Her 22 excellent sets kept Choco Mucho guessing, especially with slick reverse plays that picked apart their net defense in the final three sets.

Choco Mucho falters despite early dominance

Despite returning from injury with a monster 27-point game, Isa Molde’s effort wasn’t enough for Choco Mucho. She and Royse Tubino (17 points) powered a strong 2-0 start, but the team couldn’t contain ZUS Coffee’s surging confidence.

Ayehas Juegos and Cherry Nunag chipped in a combined 21 points, and Deanna Wong managed 18 excellent sets, but the Flying Titans lacked the composure to hold off the Thunderbelles when it mattered most.

Choco Mucho’s hopes for a sweep and a smoother path into the quarterfinals faded quickly as ZUS Coffee flipped the script starting in Set 3.

With the Thunderbelles dominating in attacks (64-56) and blocks (16-13), the game was a clear display of how far Coach Jerry Yee’s squad has come. Once known for late-match collapses, ZUS Coffee is now a legitimate playoff threat.

They advance to face the undefeated PLDT High Speed Hitters in a sudden-death quarterfinal — a tough test, but one they’re more than ready for.