At 34, Jovelyn Gonzaga could have easily called it a career.
After more than a decade in the club volleyball scene, the veteran spiker finally reached the PVL Finals, her first, with a team made up of a young squad in only its second year in the league and, naturally, still trying to find its identity.
She said it was a feeling she never experienced before - and one she would cherish.
“Sobrang surreal. ‘Di ko ma-explain, parang bumalik ako sa pagkabata,” she told SPIN.ph. when asked how it felt going for the crown.
READ Petro Gazz ends Zus Coffee's dream run, claims fourth PVL title
“Isa na ako sa seniors pero ‘yung first time ko ulit na ma-experience ‘yung finals, parang bumalik ako sa pagka-beginner.”
Playing in a championship game had long eluded Gonzaga, who has seen the sport evolve since her early days in the 2010s.
That changed on Sunday when ZUS Coffee battled for the title against Petro Gazz before a huge crowd at the Araneta Coliseum. Unforetunately, Zus couldn't overcome the final hurdle, losing in four sets in the 2025 Reinforced Conference finals, 21-25, 26-28, 23-25, 20-25.
While losing was disappointing, Gonzaga stepping onto the Big Dome floor with a title at stake felt like a return to the innocent excitement of her earliest volleyball memories, when everything felt new and every point carried boundless joy.
Just 16 months into her stint with the Thunderbelles, Gonzaga sees the breakthrough as a launchpad rather than a heartbreak. Reaching the title round was a reward in itself for a young franchise and a validation of how far they’ve come.
“Nilaban din talaga namin,” she said. “Ang silver, sabi nga sa’min ni Tito Frank [Lao], is something na hindi naman namin ine-expect. Du’n pa lang, sobrang grateful na kami.”
“Ang sarap sa feeling na makapag-finals at maramdaman ‘yung suporta ng mga tao. It’s a good start for us na may extra push and motivation kami for the next conferences, na kaya at kakayanin namin abutin pa ‘yung mas mataas.”
But does this mark Gonzaga’s swan song after finally checking off a career-long milestone?
Not quite, or at least for now, not yet.
“I’ll be more of an 'ate' pa sa kanila,” she said with a smile. “Maglalaro’t maglalaro pa ‘ko hangga’t nabubuhay ‘yung passion ko, lalo na’t ang sarap maglaro kasama sila. I’ll be playing hanggang kaya ko pa ilaro.”
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