The Zus Coffee Thunderbelles. PVL Media Bureau
MANILA (UPDATED) — Zus Coffee clinched its first-ever semifinals appearance in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) by sweeping Capital1, 25-14, 25-20, 25-18, in the 2025 Reinforced Conference knockout quarterfinals on Monday at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
This already marks the Thunderbelles' best finish in a PVL tourney since entering the league in 2024.
The quarterfinal matchup turned out to be a duel between both teams' respective imports, Anna DeBeer and Sasha Bytsenko.
READ: PVL: PLDT ousts sister team Cignal, books semis affair with Zus Coffee
But it was DeBeer who outshone her rival, pouring in 24 points which all came from attacks, to go with eight excellent digs and seven excellent receptions.
"I really had no expectations. I don't think we did either coming into this. So, it's been really awesome just to kind of see how we're going to do it and see how great of a start we had and carrying that into the tournament," expressed DeBeer during the postgame press conference.
Zus Coffee won the attacking department, thanks to DeBeer, with the team garnering 51 as Capital1 only notched 35.
Making the offense possible was playmaker Clo Mondonedo, who had 17 excellent sets.
"Ako talaga, personally, sabi ko sa kanila enjoyin lang namin 'yung game. And then, sumunod lang kami sa system. And then, sa instruction ng coaches, lahat naman yung magfa-follow," said the Benilde product.
Bytsenko, for her part, registered 19 markers and six excellent receptions, as Bella Belen concluded her first conference as a professional player with nine points and 19 excellent receptions.
PLDT eventually won its quarterfinal affair with sister team Cignal, forging a semis duel with the Thunderbelles.
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