FROM winning the draft lottery just eight months ago, the Thunderbelles are now bound for the PVL playoffs.
ZUS Coffee caught the last bus to the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference quarterfinals by taking down Capital1, 25-22, 25-17, 18-25, 25-17, in its must-win play-in finale on Thursday at the Philsports Arena.
Thunderbelles newcomers Chai Troncoso and Thea Gagate combined for 28 points to lead their young team's historic run to a maiden playoffs appearance. Setter-slash-captain Cloanne Mondonedo posted 24 excellent sets and six points.
READ It's Creamline vs Chery Tiggo, ZUS Coffee vs Petro Gazz in PVL quarters
For the first time in its one-year franchise history, the newer half of the PVL’s Strong Group Athletics stable will play a best-of-three quarters series against second-seeded Petro Gazz that is on a league-best 10-game win streak.
Now's not the time for the Thunderbelles to sit on their laurels as they will need iscipline and composure to weather the Angels' storm.
"Kailangan ng discipline eh, we have to execute. Kapag ganitong medyo higher level na, or quarterfinals na as you say, hindi pwedeng ma-e-error kami. Kailangang nag-eexecute kami ng gusto namin gawin, impose our will, 'di ba, kaysa the other way around," said ZUS Coffee head coach Jerry Yee.
Game One of the Petro Gazz-ZUS Coffee series is on Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. in the same Pasig City venue.
Down to the lottery
With Capital1’s conference-ending loss, Cignal will miss out on the playoffs for only the fourth time in 11 PVL conferences since joining the PVL in 2021.
As a consolation, the five-time PVL bronze medalists HD Spikers are set to enter the 2025 PVL Draft Lottery with Nxled, Farm Fresh and Capital1 for one of the first four picks in what is expected to be a stacked rookie pool.
The Solar Spikers will return to the lottery for the second straight season. They secured La Salle winger Leila Cruz in last year's maiden draft along with ex-Lady Spikers Roma Doromal and Jenya Torres.
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