ZUS Coffee Powers Past Choco Mucho, Eyes No. 1 Spot in PVL Reinforced Conference

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by Cristian Andal

ZUS Coffee celebrates during their game against Choco Mucho.
ZUS Coffee celebrates during their game against Choco Mucho. Photo: PVL Images.

The ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles are on fire. 

The team extended its winning streak to six games, fending off a late surge from Choco Mucho, 25-20, 25-22, 24-26, 25-19, at the Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur Saturday night, keeping their grip on the PVL Reinforced Conference chase.

The late-game heroics of Chinnie Arroyo were nothing short of spectacular. With a sizzling through-the-block hit, a crafty off-the-block strike, and a crucial rejection of Kat Tolentino, Arroyo steered the Thunderbelles through a furious fourth-set finish that had fans on their feet. 

Arroyo's timely plays, combined with steady leadership from Cloanne Mondonedo, showcased the Thunderbelles’ depth and composure under pressure. Mondonedo herself racked up 26 excellent sets, doubling Choco Mucho’s Deanna Wong, keeping the team in sync throughout the match.

ZUS Coffee's Chinnie Arroyo spikes the ball against two Choco Mucho defenders.
ZUS Coffee's Chinnie Arroyo spikes the ball against two Choco Mucho defenders. Photo: PVL Images.

Choco Mucho briefly threatened ZUS Coffee’s sweep ambitions in the third set. Royse Tubino sparked a late rally as coach Dante Alinsunurin’s all-Filipino lineup strategy paid off, with import Marlee Smith taking a breather. But even as Choco Mucho claimed the third set, ZUS Coffee’s resilience shone in the fourth. With Smith back, Anna DeBeer unleashed powerful spikes, while Arroyo and middle blocker Riza Nogales matched her intensity, guiding the Thunderbelles past a tough Flying Titans defense.

The fourth set was a tense back-and-forth affair. Lorraine Pecaña gave Choco Mucho a brief lead, but ZUS Coffee’s firepower proved unstoppable. A clutch sequence of spikes from Arroyo, combined with Nogales’ net dominance, turned the tide decisively. The Thunderbelles’ balanced attack, 60 points on offense versus Choco Mucho’s 45, proved the difference, despite the Flying Titans’ impressive 18 blocks, led by Maddie Madayag’s career-best 10.

The match’s highlight came in the second set when Choco Mucho surged from 12-21 to 20-21, only to be shut down by DeBeer’s booming back-row attack, restoring ZUS Coffee’s momentum. With the victory, ZUS Coffee moves within striking distance of a rare two-round prelim sweep, putting them on course for a top seed and a favorable quarterfinal matchup.

As Mondonedo put it: “Malayo pa ang tagumpay, pero tatrabahuhin namin ‘yan every game, one game at a time lang.” The Thunderbelles aren’t just chasing wins, they’re setting the pace in this conference, and every fan knows they are the team to beat.