Thunderbelles inch closer to No. 1 spot, thwart Flying Titans

1 of 2

Games Tuesday
FilOil EcoOil Centre
4 p.m. – Petro Gazz vs. Farm Fresh
6:30 p.m. – Chery Tiggo vs. Capital1

CANDON City, Ilocos Sur – The ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles continued to fuel their championship form, brushing aside a late-charging Choco Mucho side, 25–20, 25–22, 24–26, 25–19, to remain the team to beat in the PVL Reinforced Conference at the Candon City Arena here on Saturday night.

Chinnie Arroyo rose to the occasion in the clutch, stringing together three decisive points in dazzling fashion – first with a stinging through-the-block hit, followed by a crafty off-the-block blast, then capping it with a rejection of Kat Tolentino’s make-or-break attack.

Her late-set heroics powered the Thunderbelles’ blistering fourth-set finish – to the roaring delight of ZUS Coffee fans and the quiet dismay of the Flying Titans faithful.

The win not only stretched ZUS Coffee’s immaculate run to six straight victories but also moved them within two games of completing a rare two-round prelims sweep – a feat that would automatically secure the No. 1 seed and a quarterfinal duel against the No. 8 team.

While their steady march left much of the pro-Choco Mucho crowd disappointed, the Thunderbelles’ supporters reveled in another masterclass that underscored the team’s depth, discipline, and unrelenting drive for perfection.

But just when the Thunderbelles thought they had the Flying Titans grounded after back-to-back set wins, Choco Mucho roared back late in the third.

Royse Tubino, coming off the bench, ignited the uprising with a string of clutch hits as coach Dante Alinsunurin rolled the dice on an all-Filipino lineup, resting import Marlee Smith in a bold tactical move that paid immediate dividends.

But it was import Anna DeBeer – usually ZUS Coffee’s closer – who faltered.

Two straight attack errors, one sailing long and another just missing the sideline on a crosscourt drive, handed Choco Mucho the set and a brief reprieve from what seemed an inevitable sweep.

The Flying Titans carried their momentum into the fourth set, dictating the early tempo in a tightly fought frame that turned into a showcase of blocking prowess on both sides.

Smith, back in the rotation, unleashed a powerful hit that knotted the count at 17 and kept Choco Mucho’s hopes alive.

The two teams traded blows in a tense exchange before Lorraine Pecaña put the Flying Titans back on top, 19–18, with a well-timed block – their last taste of the lead for the night.

From there, ZUS Coffee shifted into a higher gear.

Arroyo leveled the count with a searing spike, Jovelyn Gonzaga followed with her own attack, and Riza Nogales denied Royse Tubino at the net as the Thunderbelles stormed ahead, 21–19.

A costly net touch by Pecaña widened the gap to three, and sensing the moment, Arroyo seized control, firing a cluster of clutch hits that punctuated ZUS Coffee’s furious finish and sealed the one-hour, 55-minute win.

“Lahat ng games, magiging tight ‘yan. Pero kasi ako, andiyan ang tiwala ng teammates ko at ng coaches, kaya gusto ko lang talagang maayos ‘yung trabaho ko,” said ZUS Coffee’s ace playmaker Cloanne Mondonedo, whose steady hands and composure continued to steer the Thunderbelles in pressure moments.

She finished with 26 excellent sets, doubling counterpart Deanna Wong’s 13 sets.

DeBeer also came through with 10 receptions, while Gonzaga backed Alyssa Eroa’s 26-excellent-dig performance with 11.

“Malayo pa ang tagumpay, pero tatrabahuhin namin ‘yan every game – one game at a time lang,” she added, underscoring the team’s grounded mindset despite their unbeaten run.

Despite her shaky third-set showing, DeBeer was once again the picture of consistency, firing 20 points built on powerful spikes and clutch hits that doused every Flying Titans rally.

She got solid backing from Arroyo and middle blocker Riza Nogales, who matched 11-point outputs, while AC Miner and Gonzaga added 10 markers apiece.

ZUS Coffee outgunned Choco Mucho in attacks, 60–45, but the Flying Titans held their own at the net behind Maddie Madayag’s career-high 10 blocks.

Choco Mucho tallied 18 blocks overall, three more than the Thunderbelles, in what turned into a high-wire duel of defense and power at the frontline.

Madayag led Choco Mucho with 18 points, while Des Cheng and Isa Molde added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Smith wound up with just seven points, and Kat Tolentino and Tubino added six and five markers, respectively.

The match’s most electric moment came in the second set when the Flying Titans, behind Tolentino and Wong, rallied from a 12–21 deficit to within 20–21, unleashing a breathtaking 8–0 run that sent the weekend crowd into a frenzy.

But just when momentum seemed to shift, DeBeer silenced the arena with a booming back-row attack.

A costly Choco Mucho net infraction and a Thea Gagate block on Molde restored ZUS Coffee’s cushion to four.

The Flying Titans tried to claw back again behind Molde’s smart drop and Tolentino’s blast, but DeBeer slammed the door shut with another thunderous kill to seal the Thunderbelles’ 2–0 set lead.

For Choco Mucho, the loss – their third straight and fourth in six outings – dimmed their quarterfinal hopes as they stayed at ninth place.

For ZUS Coffee, however, the win reinforced their growing belief that the Thunderbelles are not just chasing the top seeding – they’re shaping up as the team to beat in the conference.