Thunderbelles stun Crossovers, boost Creamline’s QF hopes

CANDON, Ilocos Sur – ZUS Coffee delivered another fifth-set masterclass, stunning Chery Tiggo, 19-25, 25-22, 18-25, 25-19, 15-6, in the PVL On Tour on Tuesday at the Candon City Arena.

Down 1-2 in sets, the Thunderbelles mounted a spirited comeback in the fourth before dominating the decider with poise and power.

Just minutes earlier, the Crossovers appeared poised to clinch an outright quarterfinal berth — until ZUS Coffee’s relentless grit flipped the script.

While the win wasn’t enough to secure the Thunderbelles a direct spot in the Last 8, it proved their resilience in high-stakes situations, especially in extended matches.

This marked their fourth five-setter in five prelim games — winning three, including an upset over powerhouse Creamline on July 19 in Iloilo City.

“We still have a lot to prove. I think we’re not quite there yet,” said veteran setter Cloanne Mondonedo in Filipino.

“I know most teams would rather not go through five sets, but for us — it’s simple. We just don’t want to go home with regrets.”

Mondonedo, who was named Best Player of the Game, orchestrated 36 excellent sets and added two points in the two-hour, five-minute slugfest.

She enabled rookie AC Miner to break out with 19 points, while Kate Santiago added 13.

Chinnie Arroyo and Chai Troncoso chipped in 11 and 10, respectively.

Rookie Renee Peñafiel led Chery Tiggo with 19 points, followed by Cess Robles with 18, Imee Hernandez with 14, and Ara Galang with 11.

Despite outscoring ZUS Coffee in attacks, 69-58, the Crossovers faltered in the crucial stretch.

The Thunderbelles limited unforced errors to just 12, while Chery Tiggo gave up 29 free points.

ZUS Coffee also outblocked the Crossovers, 11-8, with Miner leading a decisive fourth-set rally with key blocks and quick hits.

After forcing the fifth, the Thunderbelles jumped to a 4-1 lead behind Arroyo’s consecutive attacks.

Santiago extended the gap to 11-5 with a powerful strike off an out-of-system play, and Jovelyn Gonzaga sealed the win with an emphatic blast.

Creamline ultimately benefitted most from the result, clinching the final quarterfinal spot via superior tiebreak points.

Still, ZUS Coffee’s gritty run solidified their status as the league’s ultimate fifth-set warriors.

When matches go the distance, the Thunderbelles rarely flinch.

Meanwhile, the eight other teams now battle for the four remaining quarterfinal slots in sudden-death matches starting Saturday at the FilOil EcoOil Arena in San Juan City.

In crossover matchups, Pool A’s No. 3 faces Pool B’s No. 6, while Pool A’s No. 4 meets Pool B’s No. 5.

Likewise, Pool B’s No. 3 and No. 4 take on Pool A’s No. 6 and No. 5, respectively.

Quarterfinal pairings will follow standard seeding: No. 1 vs. No. 8, No. 2 vs. No. 7, No. 3 vs. No. 6, and No. 4 vs. No. 5.

The knockout format continues through to the finals.