Gonzaga, Gagate power ZUS Coffee to 1st ever PVL win

Games Thursday

(Filoil EcoOil Arena)

4 p.m. - Cignal vs Chery Tiggo

6:30 p.m. - Capital1 vs Choco Mucho

MANILA, Philippines — It took a battle-scarred spiker and a talented rookie acquisition for ZUS Coffee to claim its breakthrough Premier Volleyball League victory.

It came in a momentous 19-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-15 win over the Nxled Chameleons in the PVL All-Filipino at the Ynares Center in Antipolo Tuesday that delivered the Thunderbelles their very first triumph after joining the league early this year.

Seasoned Jovelyn Gonzaga, who last played for Cignal, showed she still has it and dropped a masterful 23-point effort while Thea Gagate, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s historic rookie draft, was equally lethal with 16 hits.

 “Sobrang happy ako natulungan ko maipanalo namin ito,” said Gonzaga. “But for me as a whole, nag contribute ang buong team. It was a total team effort.”

Apart from scoring, Gonzaga and Gagate were their team’s phalanx of defense with the former pulling off a team-high 12 digs and the latter ending up with a match-best five blocks.

It was a win that ended Zus Coffee's 20-loss drought — 11 as Strong Group Athletics in the AFC and eight in the Reinforced Conference early this year — while launching the team's ambitious campaign to make it to the playoff round.

And now the wait is over.

“Ang tagal naming hinintay ito,” said ZUS setter Cloanne Mondonedo, the NCAA MVP and part of College of St. Benilde’s unbeaten three-peat NCAA champion who had 17 excellent sets on this one.

It was truly momentous for a franchise aiming for big things in the league.

“I’m always proud of the team kahit talo kami proud ako sa kanila. Hopefully magtuloy tuloy na ito,” said ZUS coach Jerry Yee.

Nxled slipped to 0-2.