ZUS Coffee Turns Up the Heat, Cruises Into the Semis After Sweeping Capital1

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by Misha Cruz

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

ZUS Coffee didn’t flinch. Not with all the chaos happening in the quarterfinals, not with two lower-seeded teams pulling off shockwaves earlier in the day. When it was their turn under the bright lights of the Big Dome, the Thunderbelles stepped in, locked in, and took care of business.

Behind a laser-focused, absolutely dialed-in outing from Anna DeBeer, ZUS Coffee rolled past Capital1 in straight sets, 25-14, 25-20, 25-18, to punch their ticket to the PVL Reinforced Conference semifinals Monday night.

DeBeer was that girl from the very first rally, dropping 24 points with the kind of confidence and control that reminded me of watching an in-form Alex Eala on a big tennis stage: calm, sharp, unbothered by pressure. She hit at an unreal 55% clip, torching blockers and never letting Capital1 breathe once momentum started tipping their way.

And yes, she admitted she had some pregame nerves… but honestly, that might’ve fueled her. “A little bit of nerves helps,” she said afterward, smiling like she’d just aced a championship point. “I’m proud of how the team handled everything.”

ZUS Coffee import Anna DeBeer spikes the ball against a Capital1 defender
ZUS Coffee import Anna DeBeer spikes the ball against a Capital1 defender. Photo: PVL Images.

The Thunderbelles dominated early, but Capital1 refused to go quietly. The Solar Spikers even stole a 7–6 lead in the third off a Bella Belen hit, and for a moment it felt like they might force a longer match. But when things tightened up, ZUS Coffee leaned on their signature blend, precision, patience, and DeBeer taking over late.

Setter Cloanne Mondonedo once again proved why she’s the league leader in excellent sets. Her 17 clean dishes kept the offense flowing like clockwork, constantly freeing up DeBeer while sneaking in her own crafty plays that threw off the Solar Spikers’ reads.

Chinnie Arroyo, Riza Nogales, Jovelyn Gonzaga, and AC Miner chipped in steady scoring, giving the Thunderbelles a balanced lineup that applied pressure from all corners. Their 51–35 attacking advantage? Yeah… that says everything.

Capital1 superstar Sasha Bytsenko pushed through a knee issue and still delivered 19 points, but the support just wasn’t there. Belen was held to nine, and without consistent second scoring, the Solar Spikers couldn’t keep up with ZUS Coffee’s pace.

The Capital1 Solar Spikers vs ZUS Coffee
The Capital1 Solar Spikers vs ZUS Coffee. Photo: PVL Images.

From an expansion team figuring out its identity to a squad brewing something special, ZUS Coffee’s rise has been slow, steady, and intentional. All that grind has led them here: a semifinals seat, momentum on their side, and the confidence of a team that knows they belong on this stage.

Next stop: a knockout semifinal. And the Thunderbelles? They look ready for anyone.