Thunderbelles shock Creamline; Chery Tiggo grabs solo lead

ZUS Coffee staged a stunning upset over perennial powerhouse Creamline Cool Smashers, 24-26, 25-20, 25-23, 22-25, 15-11, on Saturday night in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) On Tour, while Chery Tiggo asserted dominance over Cignal to seize the Pool B lead.

Rising star Chinnie Arroyo powered the Thunderbelles with 23 points, all but one off attacks, in a gritty two-hour, 28-minute thriller at the City of Passi Arena, marking their first win in three meetings against the league’s winningest squad.

“I’m incredibly proud, especially of my teammates — no one backed down,” said Arroyo, who was named Best Player of the Game.

“This wasn’t an easy match, but we held firm, we stayed together, and we fought until the very end.”

The win pushed ZUS Coffee to 2-1 in Pool B, enhancing their chances of securing an outright quarterfinal spot in the pre-season tilt organized by Sports Vision.

After back-to-back five-set duels against Akari and Capital1, the Thunderbelles showed newfound composure in crunch time, breaking free in the deciding frame behind AC Miner’s early scoring run and Arroyo’s timely hits.

ZUS Coffee capitalized on Creamline’s unforced errors, including a crucial service miss by Rose Vargas that sealed the win.

Creamline dropped to 2-2 following consecutive defeats, unable to summon its trademark endgame poise despite solid outings from Jema Galanza (21 points), Alyssa Valdez (16), and Michele Gumabao (14).

ZUS setter Cloanne Mondonedo was instrumental, delivering 30 excellent sets to outduel counterpart Kyle Negrito, who managed 27.

Miner added 16 points, Fiola Ceballos scored critical late hits, and support came from Jovelyn Gonzaga (12), Chai Troncoso, Kate Santiago, rookie Riza Nogales, and Ceballos — all combining for a well-balanced effort.

In the second game, Chery Tiggo overwhelmed Cignal, 25-13, 26-28, 25-15, 25-15, to remain unbeaten at 3-0 and take solo lead in Pool B.

Rookie sensation Renee Peñafiel delivered a career-high 18 points, including three blocks and three aces, to claim her first Best Player of the Game honor.

“Hindi ko alam… Thank you Lord,” said an emotional Peñafiel.

“Sobrang happy na nasa Chery Tiggo ako at nanalo. Nakuha namin sa hirap ng training and everything.”

Veterans Ara Galang (15 points), Cess Robles (14), and Imee Hernandez (11) backed Peñafiel, while setter Alina Bical masterfully directed traffic with 25 excellent sets.

Cignal, coming off three straight wins, faltered under pressure and committed 33 unforced errors — nearly double Chery Tiggo’s 19.

Erika Santos led the HD Spikers with 14 points but received little support, as no other Cignal player reached double figures.

The Crossovers pulled away in the third and fourth sets with well-timed rallies and relentless net defense, breaking a 6-3 Cignal lead in Set 3 with a 14-7 blitz anchored by Hernandez and Maraño.

The day’s results reshaped the Pool B standings, with Chery Tiggo now in control at 3-0, followed by Cignal and ZUS Coffee at 2-1, and Creamline slipping to 2-2.