AND then there were none.
Cignal took down the league’s last unbeaten team in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference in ZUS Coffee, 25-12, 26-24, 25-23, on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Erika Santos, who had 19 points, and Slovakian import Katrin Trebichavska's 13-point, 14-reception double-double denied an Anna DeBeer-led Thunderbelles surge in Set 3 to sweep the league-leaders.
"Hindi naman ako tumitingin sa team (opponent). Kung ano 'yung nilalaro ng kasama ko and kung paano kami nagje-jell, siguro 'yun 'yung focus. Other than that, thankful kasi every time na may game kami against ZUS, maganda naman 'yung nagiging resulta," Santos said.
"Sobrang laking help sa’min nito dahil kailangan talaga namin ng panalo para makapasok kami sa quarterfinals," added head coach Shaq delos Santos.
Gel Cayuna also had a well-rounded showing with 21 excellent sets, seven digs, and six points.
Back-to-back second-round wins for the Super Spikers propelled them from eighth to fifth in a tight-knit field with a 4-3 record.
This marked the first movement in the mid-table race that previously saw four teams, including Capital1, Akari, and Petro Gazz tied at 3-3.
Cignal was quick to make its move in the opening set, going on a blistering 16-3 tear to break a 9-all deadlock and seize an early advantage.
Then came a nip-and-tuck second frame, which ended with Trebichavska capitalizing on ZUS Coffee’s reception woes with a set-clinching ace.
Luck runs out finally on ZUS
The Thunderbelles’ franchise-best start ends at six, but they remain atop the combined team standings with a 6-1 card.
DeBeer's triple-double of 26 points, 12 receptions and 11 digs went for naught, as she had to do the heavy-lifting when ZUS Coffee played catch-up in the last two sets.
There was a glaring lack of scoring contributions from the locals, however, as the rest of the team combined for a conference-low 13 points.
Thea Gagate paced the locals with five markers, while Jovelyn Gonzaga had just three points, but atoned on defense with 12 receptions.
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