MANILA — The ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles dealt the biggest shocker yet of the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference, dismantling defending champions Creamline Cool Smashers, 25-27, 25-17, 25-20, 25-22, on Thursday night at the Playtime FilOil Center in San Juan — a statement win that kept the Thunderbelles’ unbeaten streak alive and signaled a new power rising in the league.
American import Anna DeBeer spearheaded the upset with a career-high 37 points built on 35 attacks and two blocks, outgunning the entire Creamline frontline and exposing the champions’ defensive gaps.
“I think, all around it’s a team effort,” said DeBeer, named Player of the Game. “It was a hard game, but it was a total team effort. I think we did a pretty good job on the service line. Our blocking and defense is what really helped us, allowed us to spread our offense. Being balanced is huge and different people stepped up in different situations — that makes this team win.”
The victory pushed ZUS Coffee to 3-0, tying sister team Farm Fresh Foxies as the only undefeated squads so far. Creamline, meanwhile, absorbed its second loss in four outings, dropping to 2-2 and raising questions about its midseason form.
In the nightcap, Petro Gazz Angels barely escaped a stunning Akari Power Chargers rally, surviving in five grueling sets, 29-27, 25-22, 19-25, 17-25, 15-11, to notch their third win in four games.
American reinforcement Lindsey Vander Weide fired 22 points on 20 attacks, one block, and one ace to steady the Angels. “We really worked hard in the beginning of the game,” Vander Weide said. “Not because it was a fifth set that we gonna give up — we’re locked in for 15 points and we were able to do that.”
After squandering a two-set lead, Petro Gazz regrouped behind steadier receptions and disciplined floor defense in the decider to hold off Akari’s momentum. “They definitely turned it on (in the fifth set), they were serving like crazy,” Vander Weide added./PN
