CAPITAL1’s blistering start proved too much to overcome as it held off a late ZUS Coffee rally for a 25-17, 25-16, 15-25, 25-22 win in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday at the Playtime Filoil Centre.
Bella Belen was at the forefront of a match-clinching 12-3 run that overturned the Thunderbelles’ bid to force sudden death.
Belen wasn’t a lone gun on offense and had ample support as several of the Solar Spikers’ eight offseason additions quickly made their presence felt.
Even without mainstays Leila Cruz, Pia Abbu and Rachel Austero, Capital1 unveiled a new scoring trifecta with Pauline Gaston, Shaya Adorador and Cherry Nunag spearheading decisive runs in the opening two sets, allowing the Solar Spikers to dictate the tempo early.
ZUS Coffee threatened to swing the match in the third set behind a sharper attacking rhythm, but Capital1 regrouped in the fourth to snuff out the comeback bid and close the door.
The win also spoiled the much-anticipated ‘GonzaQuis’ reunion on the Thunderbelles’ side, as Jovelyn Gonzaga’s steady production from the right wing and Rachel Daquis’ brief cameo weren’t enough to keep the reigning Reinforced Conference silver medalists afloat.
Belen put up 26 points on 24 attacks and two aces, most of which came during Capital1's decisive runs to deny ZUS Coffee a late fightback.
“Ngayon, mas naging competitive na ‘yung team. Lahat talaga, willing to learn, willing to make an effort para makapag-perform sa game and para makuha ‘yung panalo,” the most recent No. 1 draft pick said.
Belen was right at the heart of every decisive swing that went Capital1’s way, from a 7-0 closing run in the opening set fueled by Gaston and Adorador, to stretching the gap to eight in the second, and finally orchestrating the crucial turnaround in the fourth.
The Solar Spikers’ debuting trio also made sure to leave their mark on the scoresheet, with Adorador unloading 14 points, Ysa Jimenez contributing 13, and Gaston adding 10 in a balanced offensive showing.
No counterstrike for Thunderbelles
ZUS Coffee showed signs of a comeback after digging out of a two-set hole, racing to a lead of as much as nine in the third frame to keep the match alive.
The Thunderbelles carried that momentum into the fourth as Thea Gagate, who finished with 15 points, and Riza Nogales, who had 12, keyed a blistering 10-1 run to seize a 17-13 advantage.
That surge, however, proved to be their last. Capital1 answered with a ruthless Belen-led response that flipped the script once more, wiping out the deficit and restoring order just in time.
The late rally also rendered the solid efforts of Chinnie Arroyo, who scored 11, and Jovelyn Gonzaga, who chipped in 10, moot as ZUS Coffee failed to land a final blow.
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