ZUS Coffee will be without rookie middle blocker AC Miner when it opens its 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference campaign against Capital1 on Tuesday.
Strong Group Athletics (SGA) head of volleyball operations Kiara Cruz confirmed that the Thunderbelles have opted to sit the 5-foot-11 defender to allow her to fully recover rather than risk aggravating an existing issue on her shin.
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“AC has been dealing with a recurring shin injury since last year,” Cruz said through SGA’s website on Monday.
“She can play through it, but we opted to let her heal so that she can be 100 percent for the rest of the year.”
The decision was a mutual one for Miner and team management, with her long-term health an utmost consideration even if it meant missing games early in the conference.
The former Ateneo standout was one of ZUS Coffee’s biggest revelations last season, playing a key role in the Thunderbelles’ breakthrough silver-medal finish in the 2025 Reinforced Conference.
Her impact was quickly recognized as Miner went on to claim Rookie of the Conference honors in her first full PVL conference, following her pro debut during the PVL on Tour preseason tournament last July.
As of now, there is no definite timetable for her return to action.
Defenders aplenty
Still, ZUS Coffee is well-equipped to weather her absence, boasting one of the league’s deeper middle blocker rotations.
Former No. 1 overall draft pick Thea Gagate, along with Riza Nogales, Maika Ortiz and Caroline Santos, are all available options to hold the fort at the net as the Thunderbelles begin their 2026 campaign.
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