(UPDATE) PERENNIAL Premier Volleyball League (PVL) cellar dweller ZUS Coffee received praises from Creamline's Alyssa Valdez after their grueling five-set match.
Formerly called Strong Group Athletics, ZUS Coffee put up a fight but fell 25-22, 28-30, 26-24, 17-25, 15-13 against the mighty Creamline on Dec. 12.
The Cool Smashers were tested to the hilt before escaping with a narrow win against the young Thunderbelles.
Creamline star Valdez was in awe of the team's grit and admitted that the Cool Smashers have to give their best to solve the ZUS puzzle and avoid an upset.
"[This win], it's not something that we're proud of since it extended into five sets. Knowing ZUS, they brought their A game today. They played so well, we're just very happy and blessed that we won, and it's anybody's game, especially in that fifth set, we're lucky we got it," Valdez said.
Despite the five-set scare, a champion like Valdez appreciates a good challenge.
"Honestly, I think more than anything, I saw their grit. I saw that they won't go down without a fight. You know they're a young team. I guess, one of the things that I saw is their grit, and their attitude that even [though] they are one of the youngest teams, they'll fight for pride and honor," said Valdez, who scored 17 points in the game.
Alas Pilipinas middle blocker Thea Gagate took care of the net defense for ZUS and churned out 15 points, behind lead scorer Kate Santiago's 19-point output.
This stellar performance of the No. 1 draft pick also caught the eye of the Phenom.
"She has been one of the biggest impacts in ZUS, and one of the toughest defenders of ZUS. You saw, there's no nerves with her, Thea is confident. It is a good sign coming into the PVL, since this is the biggest league. The confidence is there, and we can't wait to see her monster blocks and her points," Valdez said.
In the previous All-Filipino tournament, ZUS finished with a 0-11 card. This time, the Thunderbelles already have a 2-3 card after scoring victories over Nxled and Galeries Tower.
With renewed energy and vitality, the Thunderbelles are now aiming to advance in the next round for the first time.