ILOILO – In a gut-wrenching endgame where poise and experience often make the difference, ZUS Coffee proved it already has the former and is quickly gaining the latter.
Surviving a third straight five-set battle, the Thunderbelles stunned the multi-titled Creamline Cool Smashers, 24-26, 25-20, 25-23, 22-25, 15-11, before a roaring crowd at the City of Passi Arena here on Saturday, July 19.
Chinnie Arroyo rose to the occasion with an MVP-worthy performance, delivering 23 points, all but one off attacks, to spearhead the upstart team’s breakthrough win over the league powerhouse in a thrilling two-hour, 28-minute showdown.
Coming off a tough five-set loss to the Akari Chargers on July 5 and a narrow escape against the Capital1 Solar Spikers the next day, also in five sets, the Thunderbelles displayed growing composure and mental toughness to finally close one out – and in stunning fashion.
The victory not only dealt Creamline a rare defeat but also boosted ZUS Coffee’s bid for an outright quarterfinal berth with a 2-1 card in Pool B of the pre-season tournament organized by Sports Vision.
Playmaker Cloanne Mondonedo also outdueled Negrito, 30 excellent sets to 27, consistently baffling the Cool Smashers’ defense with her crafty orchestration. At times she ran plays through her middle blockers; at others, she shifted the attack to her wing spikers, keeping the defense guessing throughout.
Miner delivered a solid 16-point outing, while Gonzaga chipped in 12. Chai Troncoso, Kate Santiago, rookie Riza Nogales and Fiola Ceballos combined for 23 points, highlighting the Thunderbelles’ balanced scoring effort.
It was a tough blow for Creamline, which dropped to 2-2 after suffering back-to-back losses, including another rare straight-sets defeat to Cignal. Galanza led the charge with 21 points, with Alyssa Valdez and Gumabao contributing 16 and 14, respectively. Pangs Panaga added eight markers.
Later in the day, Chery Tiggo dealt Cignal its first loss with a 25-13, 26-28, 25-15, 25-15 victory for its third straight win in as many outings and take solo lead in Pool B.
In a clash between early title contenders returning from a mid-preseason break, the Crossovers showed no signs of rust. They came in sharp, executing with clinical precision and showcasing fluid coordination, anchored by stifling net defense and composed floor coverage.
Rookie sensation Renee Peñafiel stole the spotlight with a breakout performance, finishing with 18 points built on three blocks and three aces to earn her first Best Player of the Game award.
The Crossovers also drew firepower from Ara Galang, who tallied 15 points, Cess Robles with 14, and middle blocker Imee Hernandez, who scored 11 points – most of which came during a pivotal third-set surge where Chery Tiggo turned a 3-6 deficit into a runaway 10-point win.
