ZUS Coffee’s fairy tale run came as a surprise to many, but not for head coach Jerry Yee.
The Thunderbelles proved to be the league’s ultimate surprise package after stunning Cignal in the play-ins then sweeping Petro Gazz in Game One of the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference quarterfinals.
Whatever the outcome of this series may be and whether or not ZUS Coffee gets one more win to enter the semifinals, Yee won’t have any regrets on what his one-year-old team has already accomplished.
“Dadaan talaga kami sa ganyan (ups and downs). It’s a process,” Yee said.
“Mahirap din talaga kapag ‘di mo nakikita yung improvements, pero nandyan naman and we know na kailangan namin dumaan diyan kahit na may mga heartbreaks and losses.
“Surprise? Not really. Yun naman din yung ipi-preach mo na kailangan ding mangyari at kailangan naming lagpasan.”
ZUS Coffee brewing contention
Five months into her first conference as a Thunderbelle, Yee’s most senior player in 33-year-old winger Jovelyn Gonzaga knew it was only a matter of time before her young squad could unleash its potential as a playoff contender.
“Bago ako dumating sa ZUS, alam ko talagang ang taas ng potential ng team. Lagi ko 'yan sinasabi sa bawat isa na malayo ang mararating ng team,” said Gonzaga.
“Nung una, natatanggap pa namin paunti-unti kapag may mga five sets na ‘di namin nakukuha. Pero willingly, nag-submit ang bawat isa, sa coaching staff, sa program ng coaching staff."
That newfound fighting spirit is what Gonzaga believes will be ZUS Coffee’s best asset if it was to take its campaign any farther.
As she put it, “Ang maganda sa team kasi, 'di nawawalan ng pag-asa. Matalo man kami, pagbalik sa court, bagong goal kami ulit.”
The Thunderbelles get their first crack at a historic semis berth in Game Two on Saturday, 4 p.m. at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
