THIRD time’s the charm for ZUS Coffee as it finally marched into the semifinals with a 25-14, 25-20, 25-18 rout of Capital1 in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference knockout quarterfinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
After two early playoff exits in the last three tournaments, the Thunderbelles broke through in just their sixth conference in two years in the league.
Their Cinderella run gets at least another chapter, marking their best PVL campaign yet just a little over a year since selecting Thea Gagate with the inaugural 2024 draft’s first overall pick.
Their eight wins to date have already surpassed their combined six victories from five previous tournaments — a stretch that included three winless stints.
It was a straightforward affair from the opening serve, with ZUS Coffee controlling the match wire-to-wire.
They stormed through the first set by an 11-point cushion and never looked back, closing out the sweep with a seven-point margin.
Anna DeBeer continued to strengthen her case as one of the conference’s top reinforcements, erupting for 24 points on an efficient 55-percent attack clip while adding eight digs.
"This really shows how we’ve been doing all season long. It’s everyone stepping up in different moments and I just think it’s a full-on team effort," DeBeer said.
"I could not do anything I do without everyone out there, which is really exciting, and that’s gonna help us carry on in the semis and hopefully in the finals."
Team captain Cloanne Mondonedo steadied the ship with 17 excellent sets and a point, as Alyssa Eroa anchored the floor defense with 14 digs.
For the Thunderbelles, Chinnie Arroyo topped the locals with eight points, followed by twin six-point outings from rookie middle AC Miner and veteran winger Jovelyn Gonzaga.
Sun sets on Capital1
Russian spiker Oleksandra Bytsenko bade the PVL farewell with a 19-point outing built on steady offense and six receptions.
Bella Belen closed out her rookie season with nine points and 19 receptions, while Leila Cruz added six markers as the next-best local scorer.
Second setter Nikka Yandoc also stepped up, finishing with 11 excellent sets, five digs, and a point as she took over the lead playmaking duties from Iris Tolenada.
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