MANILA — ZUS Coffee regained control of the playoff race on Tuesday, reclaiming the provisional No. 1 spot in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference after dominating the already-eliminated Nxled Chameleons, 25-13, 25-21, 25-21, at the Ynares Center in Montalban, Rizal.
With the quarterfinal seedings still fluid, the Thunderbelles’ 78-minute sweep not only restored their confidence after a costly loss last week but also gave them a crucial cushion in the three-way battle for the top seed. ZUS Coffee now holds 20 points — the highest total so far — putting pressure on PLDT and Farm Fresh (18 points each) heading into Thursday’s final elimination matches.
“It was a good win for us – just to get some confidence back after our last game,” said top scorer Anna DeBeer, who powered ZUS Coffee with 16 points while anchoring the defense with 11 excellent digs. “We came in, worked hard, and we’re getting ready for the quarterfinals.”
Rookie hitter Alexa Miner added 15 points, while Chinnie Arroyo and Kate Santiago contributed 10 and nine markers, respectively, in ZUS Coffee’s bounce-back performance. The Thunderbelles’ system ran smoothly behind setter Cloanne Mondonedo, who dished out 23 excellent sets — nearly double the 13 of Nxled counterpart Jaja Maraguinot.
The Chameleons, already out of quarterfinal contention, closed their campaign at 0-8 despite 15 points from Paola Martinez, 10 from Lyann de Guzman, and nine from Chiara Permentilla.
ZUS Coffee was once on track for a clean sweep of the eliminations before a straight-set defeat to Cignal last Thursday muddled the race for No. 1. A possible third-place finish could set up a rematch with sixth-seeded Cignal in the knockout quarterfinals, though the pairings remain dependent on Akari and Petro Gazz’s results.
For now, the Thunderbelles have made their message clear: they are entering the postseason in stride, recalibrated, and armed with renewed momentum./PN
