DeBeer, Steady Locals Power ZUS Coffee’s Stunning Sweep of PLDT to March Into Finals

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by Raymund Tamayo

The ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles
The ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles. Photo: PVL Images.

What started as a promising experiment has quickly turned into one of the PVL’s most captivating breakthroughs. 

ZUS Coffee, the expansion kids who were supposed to need time, patience, and a few seasons of growing pains, are now officially in the championship spotlight after a commanding 25-22, 28-26, 25-22 sweep of PLDT on Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Thunderbelles dismantled a PLDT squad widely viewed as the favorite to run the table this season. And in doing so, ZUS Coffee punched its ticket to a winner-take-all showdown for the Reinforced Conference crown against Petro Gazz.

At the heart of this rise is import Anna DeBeer, the conference’s second-best scorer, who once again delivered a performance befitting a franchise cornerstone. DeBeer poured in 30 points in just over 90 minutes of play, unloading 13 of those in the opening frame to immediately put PLDT on the defensive. When the second set tightened, she stayed cold-blooded, hammering the last two points to secure the 28-26 escape.

ZUS Coffee import Anna DeBeer
ZUS Coffee import Anna DeBeer. Photo: PVL Images.

But a breakthrough run like this is never a one-woman show.

ZUS Coffee’s locals played with the poise and hunger of a group that’s done this before. Chinnie Arroyo matched DeBeer’s fire with an inspired 18 points, turning crucial possessions into momentum-shifting hits. Setter Cloanne Mondonedo orchestrated the offense beautifully with 18 excellent sets, threading quick balls, reverse feeds, and well-timed tempo shifts that kept PLDT guessing throughout.

Behind them, the supporting core delivered everywhere it mattered, in coverage, in hustle plays, and in the long rallies where games like this are won.

PLDT attempted a late surge in the third, tying the score at 21 after a Mika Reyes quick attack. But in moments where inexperienced teams normally wilt, ZUS Coffee did the opposite. DeBeer slammed two straight points to restore order, and after Savi Davison tried to keep PLDT alive, the American import capped the night with her 30th marker, a fitting exclamation point for a semifinal masterclass.

ZUS Coffee setter Cloanne Mondonedo (21) sets up the ball for teammate Thea Gagate
ZUS Coffee setter Cloanne Mondonedo (21) sets up the ball for teammate Thea Gagate. Photo: PVL Images.

Davison (15 points) and Nastya Bavykina (16) led PLDT, which now heads to a bronze duel against Akari.

For ZUS Coffee, the story has shifted from curiosity to conviction. The Thunderbelles have gone from “team to watch” to “team to fear,” and on Sunday, they get the chance to turn a magical run into a championship banner, the kind that changes a franchise forever.